NYTMC 1: Not Your Typical Meet-Cute
by firefly-hwufanficwriter
Summary: (Part one of the NYTMC series.) (Main fanfic.) How did Thomas Hunt fall in love with his most promising, yet most frustrating, student? A retelling of the game from Hunt's perspective.
1. Day 01 (M): Troublemaker (Levels 02-03)

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Hollywood U. This amazing game belongs to Pixelberry! :)**

* * *

 **Chapter One: Day 01 (Monday) – Troublemaker (Levels 02-03)**

* * *

Thomas Orson Hunt sighed irritably as he looked at his watch. Eight fifty-five. He was waiting inside a conference room of Hollywood University with his fellow professors for the new student to arrive so that the meeting could begin. After being called to the university early, especially on a Monday morning, he was not in the best of moods. The matter at hand had been explained to him by the dean of the university, Andrew Schaeffer, only about ten minute ago. Andrew, who was an excellent administrator but not the best disciplinarian, delegated the matter to Thomas, who had been known to make students cry without even really trying. However, at the moment he was more inclined to make Andrew cry because of the waste of time that the upcoming meeting promised to be.

Unable to help himself, Thomas asked, "All this because of a spilled drink?"

"Look, Thomas, we agree with you, it's ridiculous," said Andrew, trying to placate him. "But the university has policies, and the student handbook clearly states that the faculty must intervene in student altercations on- or off-campus."

"And," the dean continued, "it isn't like we're giving Ms. Hart a chance. If she meets the terms of the probation, she'll have three major projects under her belt – all in her first month!"

"Why is she staying at the university, then?" Thomas asked curtly. "If this student is such a troublemaker, we should consider ourselves lucky that we can kick her out before we've invested too much in her."

"We can't kick students out over every little thing! If all it were up to you, Thomas, we'd kick half of them out just for the pranks they've tried to pull on you over the years," Andrew laughed.

"Not exactly, since nobody has ever succeeded," Thomas smirked. At the dean's annoyed look, he relented. "Oh, very well. Remember, I have already agreed to lead this hearing."

"Good," said the relieved dean, walking with him to the area of the conference room where the other professors and a few students were waiting. And not a moment too soon…

BANG!

A young woman in casual attire and a young man in an Armani suit stumbled into the room, both looking extremely nervous. The young woman tilted her head slightly upwards to look at Thomas for the first time, and as her eyes met his, he noticed that they were beautiful.

Upon seeing Thomas with his hands on his hips, the clear leader of the probation meeting, the girl's eyes widened slightly – and then wilted under his irritated gaze. She and her blue-suited companion whispered to each other, annoying Thomas even more. He sent her friend out of the room before starting the meeting.

"While that was undoubtedly a fascinating conversation, Marie Claire," he noticed her give a start when she heard him say her name for the first time, "we do have some important things here that we need to discuss."

Inwardly angry at the complete waste of time that was this meeting, he continued. "According to your classmate, Bianca Stone, you set out to harass her for no reason and poured your drink on her in a public venue. Is this true?"

Predictably, Marie Claire's jaw dropped indignantly. "That's- that's not exactly what happened!" She tried to explain. "I mean, yes, I did spill my drink on her, but it was an accident!"

"At least you're not denying it happened," said Thomas scathingly. "But you can't be telling the whole truth, as Bianca Stone is adamant that you were purposefully confrontational."

"Yes!" said Bianca Stone, who seemed to Thomas to be in extreme need of acting lessons, as she was not pulling of the 'innocent' act very well. "I don't even know how I'm finding the courage to be in the same room as her after how violent she was last night!"

Jenni Whitman, with one hand clutching a sleek smartphone, supported Bianca's claims. "Marie Claire was like a hissing, angry cat last night! The kind that shouldn't even be roaming free in the streets!"

A make-up artist student, Shae – something – added that she didn't think Hollywood U students ought to behave that way, while a shirtless Lance Sergio – clearly Bianca's boyfriend from the way he looked at her fawningly every few seconds – said that crazy people shouldn't be near Bianca, who, according to him, had already exhibited greater bravery than most.

Thomas could hardly keep from rolling his eyes as he listened to their exaggerated maligning of Marie Claire's character, but since he was leading the meeting, he couldn't look too sympathetic towards Marie Claire – who was blinking in confusion at her classmates' words.

After their individual statements – rehearsed, no doubt – Thomas proceeded to explain the university's involvement. "Marie Claire, even though the incident didn't occur on school grounds-"

"That's right, it didn't!" she exclaimed, unable to hold herself back. She was seething as she glared at Thomas. "What does the university have to do with a student disagreement at a nightclub, anyway?!"

Thomas glared right back at her. "As educators, we take matters like this very seriously, even if they occur away from the university! Your actions reflect on Hollywood U!"

"But I'm not even really a student yet!" she argued back. "My first class is later today! I just went out last night to go dancing! You just called me here so that I could be insulted without having the chance to defend myself!"

 _I didn't call her in at all, but either way, does she really think that arguing with her professor is the way to gain allies?_

"You are here," Thomas said, narrowing his eyes at her, "because despite your abrasive nature, we have decided to put you on probation, instead of kicking you out entirely – and you ought to be grateful!"

"Grateful for getting in trouble over something as ridiculous as this?!" she shot back. "I don't think so!"

Thomas made a quick, dismissive motion with his hand. "Regardless of what you think, you will complete three high-profile projects and get three industry professionals to vouch for your character if you want to stay here!"

"Three… of each?" she gaped. For a second, Thomas thought he could see a glimmer of interest in her eyes, but his student's expression turned back to annoyance too quickly for him to acknowledge it. "But that's impossible! How am I supposed to do all of that in one month!?"

"That is your problem," he said, smug that she was finally feeling intimidated after giving him so much trouble during the meeting. "And if you so much as take one step out of line in the time, we will not hesitate in expelling you immediately!"

She glared at Thomas so hard that her pink hair almost looked like it had darkened a shade in her fury. But after seeing that her anger did not make him falter in the slightest, she asked heatedly, "Is that all, _Professor?_ " making his title sound like a foul word.

"Yes," he spat back at her, "that's _all._ "

Upon hearing his reply, Marie Claire turned on her heel and stomped out of the room.

* * *

After the students and other professors had left the room, Andrew approached Thomas.

"That student…" he started, then stopped. "I've never seen a student talk to you like that before."

Thomas shook his head, still irritated by the whole ordeal. "I'm sure she won't be nearly as defiant in class." He nodded at Andrew and left.

Later, he would eat his words.

* * *

One unsatisfying lunch later, Thomas entered the lecture auditorium.

He could see that his reputation preceded him – his students already looked wary and he hadn't even spoken yet. He could hear whispers from a few students asking who he was, and others replying in the same low tones that he once had a brilliant career before he became a professor.

 _It was,_ he agreed silently, _brilliant._

But he was a professor now. Teaching in here instead of out there; about to give a lecture about the entertainment industry to students who dreamed of being part of the glamorous Hollywood upper-crust without knowing what they had to do to get there.

 _Or what they had to give up._

Whispers ebbed away to complete silence as he reached the lectern on the stage. Giving the assembled students a sweeping, annoyed glance for good measure, he started to give his first lecture of the year.

"This class is Hollywood 101, and I will be teaching you the basics of working in Hollywood. My name is Thomas Hunt…"

But to the side, he saw two students attempting to sneak in. Did they think he was blind? Probation or no probation, Marie Claire and whoever her friend was had no right to come to his class late.

"You two," he growled. The whole class turned to look at the two latecomers, who both had sheepish looks on their faces. Marie Claire, with a guilty expression on her face, opened her mouth and started to say something, but Thomas cut her off. "Learning doesn't seem to be important to either of you. Get out."

The other girl, the one Thomas didn't know, shrank back under his look and started to pull Marie Claire out the door. But she seemed rooted to her spot, her eyes focused on him. _Those are expressive eyes._ Thomas could almost see the emotions whirling inside her mind.

As he glared at her for daring to come in late, she took a step back, her face completely unreadable. From being too early to register and having to wait with her luggage outside the gate, to going to an exhausting nightclub, to accidentally spilling a drink on a rival and having a big fight afterwards, to attending a probationary meeting on her first day as a student – the physical and mental tolls of her varied experiences during her first thirty-six hours at the Hollywood University must have made her feel tired. That backward step was no doubt a prelude to her going back to the Movie Star Dorm and getting a few more hours of sleep. _She'll run away to rest,_ Thomas thought to himself.

Except she didn't – the step backwards was simply so she could position herself over the cushioned chair behind her. She slid her satchel to the floor as she purposefully sat down, still making eye contact as she disobeyed Thomas' command. He could hear her meek friend ask her what she was doing, but Marie Claire's attention was solely focused on him, matching his heated glare with a cold stare of her own.

"I don't give up that easy, Professor."

As one, her classmates' heads swerved back to look at him.

Thomas couldn't remember the last time a student had defied his direct orders in his class. While he was slightly annoyed and taken aback at her refusal to listen to him, clearly showing her nature as a troublemaker, he couldn't help but study her as she sat there, slightly guarded but wholly determined, looking as if it would take the whole world to make her move from that spot.

 _I am in the presence of another soul who would fight for their dreams._

Ignoring the faint flutter of pleasure that epiphany sent to his heart, he kept his stern expression as he said one word.

"Good."

* * *

He finished his short explanation about the class and told them that their homework for the next day was to find a partner for the project they would begin the following day.

In addition, he warned them to not be late to tomorrow's class, giving Marie Claire an icy look as he did so, and he was gratified to see that she looked slightly embarrassed as his words.

 _That's better._

* * *

That night, in the solitude of his bedroom, Thomas wrote in his journal.

 _ **"Today, an insubordinate student named Marie Claire came in late, interrupting my introductory Hollywood 101 lecture. I growled at her to leave, but, refusing to obey, she sat down anyway.**_

 _ **"Though inexperienced and untrained, I saw her love for our shared craft in her clenched fists, in the quivering chin she tried to stop from shaking. She would not leave.**_

 _ **"So I let her stay."**_

* * *

(End of Chapter One.) (This chapter was posted on April 15, 2016, Friday.)

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 **01\. Canon compliance:  
**

The HWU quests that took place in this chapter were Power Brunch (Level 02); Ready, Set, Pitch (Level 03); and Hollywood 101 (Day 01 of 01).

* * *

 **02\. A tiny request:**

Thank you for reading my fanfic! :D If you've read this far, I hope you'll consider taking an extra minute to leave a review for Chapter One ("Troublemaker")? :D Reviews really mean a lot to me as a fanfiction writer because I get to hear your thoughts on something I worked really hard on ^_^ Even if it's the year 2075 or something, I would love to hear your thoughts on this chapter! :D


	2. Day 02 (T): Ice Cream Cart (Level 03)

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Hollywood U. This amazing game belongs to Pixelberry! :)**

* * *

 **My responses to your reviews:**

01\. (19/04/16) Holly: My first review! Thank you so much for reading my fanfic! :)

* * *

 **Chapter Two: Day 02 (Tuesday) – Ice Cream Cart (Level 03)**

* * *

Breathing in the fresh air of the ocean, Thomas allowed himself a contented smile. After the events of the previous day, he decided to wake up early to go jogging at the Long Beach Marina, an area of the city known for eccentrics who preferred to live on water instead of on land. Because of its reputation for housing bizarre types of people, it was normally a secluded area, which was just how he liked it.

As he looked at the waves that were lapping at the bottoms of the small boats that were docked at the harbor, a startling thought occurred to him. _In a way, I'm like one of these boats,_ he mused moodily. He was tied to the university, not truly free to pursue his own projects because of his teaching responsibilities. While he did find his second love in teaching the film professionals of the next generation, a part of him knew that if it were not for _them_ – a sharp spear of resentment ran through him as he thought of a certain clandestine society – he would have spent the last few years of his life in the metaphorical arms of his first love – directing; bringing extraordinary visions to life. But, for now, he was at the university, where irritating students crept into his thoughts to the extent that he was starting to hear their voices in his head even during his personal time…

"Are you sure that this Holly Chang lives here, Ethan?"

With a start, Thomas turned to his left. That voice wasn't just in his head after all. Walking uncertainly to one of the houseboats was Marie Claire, the student that had been put on academic probation. She was being led by one of the junior agents in his class, whose name he learned was Ethan Blake. He gave a silent groan. _I'm surrounded by students even when I'm not teaching…_

Focused on their task, his students did not notice him as they continued walking to a houseboat that was docked two spaces away from where Thomas currently stood. He heard Ethan explain to his friend who Holly Chang was – a familiar name to Thomas, as she was the one who wrote the legendary unproduced script Permanent Wound – and heard him flatter Holly after she agreed to speak with them.

"Hello, Holly. I'm Marie Claire," he heard her introduce herself. "I was hoping you could help us by writing a script for Lisa Valentine's new music video…"

 _She already has plans for her first high-profile project?_ Despite himself, Thomas was slightly impressed.

"I've heard of you," Holly Chang replied. "My sources tell me that you're a hooligan who gets into fights at clubs. I don't want to work with nut-jobs, sorry," she said in a voice that wasn't sorry at all, and moved to close her houseboat's door on them.

"Wait!" Ethan stopped her before she could close the door completely. "You can't believe everything you hear! She was accused by Bianca Stone, and you know who her father is…"

"But that still means that I shouldn't collaborate with Marie Claire," Holly said, crossing her arms. "Whether you like it or not, reputation's important in this town, and I'd be harming mine if I were to work with her."

 _True,_ Thomas thought to himself.

"But…" Holly studied Marie Claire closely. "Okay, I'll give you a chance…"

 _Really?_ Thomas thought incredulously.

"Really?" Marie Claire asked happily.

" _…if_ you can answer my next question. If you give me the right answer, I'll work with you," Holly finished.

Marie Claire shifted the position of her feet before looking at Holly intently. "Okay, then. What do you want to know?"

"It's simple," she replied. "Why do you want to work with me?" Holly shushed Ethan when he tried to speak. "I didn't ask you, Ethan." She gestured to Marie Claire. "I asked her."

From his vantage point, he could see that Marie Claire was doing some very quick thinking. Thomas wondered what she knew of Holly Chang, if she knew that Holly Chang had a reputation for wanting things to be perfect. That was the reason why she didn't allow anybody to produce Permanent Wound – she didn't trust others to do her vision justice. Between an imperfect movie and no movie, the choice for her had been easy.

Finally, Marie Claire spoke. "I don't know much about you, to be honest. I only know about the history of your script, Permanent Wound, and how people wanted to change it. And what I learned from that was that you didn't want to create something mediocre or that had mass appeal. You wanted absolute perfection. And," she said, "perfection is exactly what I need if I want to stay at Hollywood U. You're the best screenwriter in the business, and I don't want to work with anybody but the best."

Thomas raised an eyebrow. Her answer sounded like an assessment of Holly's skills and history, and how _Holly_ had passed _Marie Claire's_ standards. _Arrogant, even with the tacked-on bit of flattery at the end._

He saw Holly smile in delight. "You understand," she said, her voice warmer than before. "Magic happens when you work with the right people, and I think you're one of those people, Marie Claire. I'll write your script."

"Oh, thank you!" Marie Claire gave Holly a tight hug, and Thomas gave a small laugh at the look of horror on Holly's face. "Do you want to listen to the song? It's a really fun song, and it's all about…"

Shaking his head, Thomas decided that it was time to jog back to his house so that he could prepare for his classes. While he wouldn't say that he was happy for her – she was too troublesome to gain more than a fraction of his sympathy – he was surprised by her initiative in getting her requirements completed.

 _We'll see if she had the skills to match her spirit,_ he thought to himself as he jogged away from the harbor, not pausing to stop and listen to a song about a girl who wanted to party.

* * *

He entered the lecture auditorium in the afternoon, looking forward to assigning his class the first project of the year. Despite how it seemed to his students, the 24 Hour Film was one of his favorite projects of the year, and he was curious to see how his new batch of freshmen would take to the challenge.

"As you must know," he said to them, "working in Hollywood means subjecting yourself to a high-pressure environment, no matter your specialty. It is a producer's job to wring every last dollar from a movie's sponsor, and it falls to the cast and crew to meet deadlines to the executive staff's satisfaction."

He spotted some worried looks at the mention of deadlines. _Wait 'till you find out what's coming your way,_ Thomas thought evilly.

"A professional's skill is not measured by their performance in times of comfort – it is tested during instances where everything has gone wrong and there is nobody left to clean up the mess. Being able to handle pressure separates the somebodies and the nobodies. And I will test you by telling you to make a short film in 24 hours – entirely from scratch."

The nervous students became even more nervous, but there were others, Thomas observed, whose eyes lit up at the challenge. As he handed out the envelopes containing the teams' mandatory genres and props, some of them took the envelopes hesitantly, while others, like Marie Claire's director student partner, Diderot Donaldson, took their assigned envelope gleefully, saying that true cinema was "fast and loose."

After all the envelopes had been handed out, Thomas returned to the podium. "Your short films will be screened at the Batista Theatre tomorrow evening, and the entry that annoys me that least will be proclaimed the winner. You will regret it if you embarrass the university – and you will _deeply_ regret it if you embarrass _me._ " Seeing them gulp and nod, he said, "Alright, hatchlings – your one full day of filming will begin in three… two… one. You may start."

All at once, the room was filled with voices. Thomas watched as some students took out notebooks to prepare outlines, while others merely glanced at the contents of their envelope before rushing out the door, excited to _create._

* * *

Thinking to himself that he wanted a cup of coffee from a particular nearby establishment before heading home, Thomas took a shortcut through a park just across the street from the university gates. Throughout the afternoon, he had seen several of his students filming snippets of videos for his film assignment, causing him to wonder why one appeared to be challenging a tree to a duel, and why another was preparing to row a canoe down a flight of stone stairs. He hoped they were in the process of making brilliant work – but the canoe stumped him.

Halfway through the park, he paused to watch the sun set over the horizon, hoping that his students had been more productive than they let on. Straight ahead, he could see a man pushing a grocery cart towards a large ramp that wasn't normally situated in that area of the park. It was a strange place for a ramp to be placed, as one of the ends was surprisingly close to a small lake.

Wondering what was about to happen, Thomas followed the man with the grocery cart until he was standing about forty feet away from the ramp. After that, he stopped as the man approached the ramp and, with the help of his companions who were nearby, positioned the cart on top of the side of the ramp that was further from the lake. He watched silently as a young man with a bright red jacket and a manic grin on his face curled himself up inside the grocery cart.

 _Wait,_ Thomas thought, _he's not thinking of_ -

Without warning, the young man inside the cart hurtled down the ramp almost faster than Thomas' eyes could follow before the cart and the man both shot out of the other side and landed in the lake. Upon surfacing, the man whooped and signaled to a camera crew, who gave an affirmative signal in return.

Thomas scoffed at the man's foolhardiness. _A stuntman. I should have known. What other kind of person would take the time to set up a ramp in a public place and use it to test the transportation capability of a grocery cart? It's good that I rejected that written request for a stunt program two weeks ago. I can't even imagine one of my students-_

Shocked mid-thought, he watched, dumbfounded, as the man managed to convince one of the bystanders – a familiar one to Thomas – to come with him. _Why is Marie Claire- did she just point to the-_

"Fully-stocked ice cream cart!" he heard his student say eagerly.

"Awesome choice!" exclaimed her risk-taking… friend? "That's the most dangerous one – lots of broken bones for us if we do this wrong!"

He started to pull Marie Claire to the ramp, not noticing her suddenly fearful expression.

"Um… um… really?! Can I switch?" she asked her crazy friend as he led her towards what could be her doom – and she slumped her shoulders when she saw that changing rides wasn't an option.

Thomas could only blink as he wondered what kind of trouble she had gotten herself into now. And it _was_ trouble – there was no other way to describe a situation where a person found themself sharing a ride in an _ice cream cart_ with a lunatic whose excited explanation – _"Of course we didn't empty this thing! If this wasn't filled with ice cream, then it would just be a cart, not an ice cream cart!"_ – could be heard even from a distance.

The _ice cream_ cart started to move – and before Thomas knew it, the class troublemaker and the stunt lunatic were going down the ramp – flying through the air – and landing in the lake. A few seconds later, they both floated to the top of the lake, and he could hear Marie Claire shouting triumphantly, "We're alive! We lived!" before she and her friend swam to the edge of the lake. Their eyes were bright with adrenaline as they walked to Ethan, who Thomas just noticed was in the area as well.

Thinking to himself that he would prefer to get that cup of coffee on a day when there were fewer reckless idiots in the area, Thomas quickly turned and walked back the way he came. Idiocy may not be scientifically contagious, but he still didn't want to risk it.

* * *

(End of Chapter Two.) (20/04/16.)

* * *

 **01\. Canon compliance:  
**

The HWU quests that took place in this chapter were Ready, Set, Pitch (Level 03) and 24 Hour Film (Day 01 of 02).

* * *

 **02\. A tiny request:**

Thank you for reading my fanfic! :D If you've read this far, I hope you'll consider taking an extra minute to leave a review for Chapter Two ("Ice Cream Cart")? :D Reviews really mean a lot to me as a fanfiction writer because I get to hear your thoughts on something I worked really hard on ^_^ Even if it's the year 2075 or something, I would love to hear your thoughts on this chapter! :D


	3. Day 03 (W): Dragon Egg (Levels 03-04)

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Hollywood U. This amazing game belongs to Pixelberry! :)**

* * *

 **My responses to your reviews:**

02\. (20/04/16) Rina-The-Fangirl: Thanks! I'm glad to hear that, because I can't wait to write more! :D

* * *

 **Chapter Three: Day 03 (Wednesday) – Dragon Egg (Levels 03-04)**

* * *

Thomas checked his watch before looking at his two students, Marie Claire and Diderot, who were both slightly panting from the running they must have done in order to try and submit their assignment on time.

"Do you think I make a habit of accepting late submissions?" he asked both of them curtly.

"You wouldn't really penalize us for fifteen seconds, would you, Professor?" Diderot asked pleadingly. "Fifteen seconds is practically nothing – I'm sure this doesn't count as late!"

"I know you are film majors and not English majors," said Thomas, "but surely you know what the word 'late' means? Because it's the perfect word to describe your assignment."

"But how could you consider _fifteen seconds_ as late?" complained Marie Claire.

"The better question is, how could _you_ consider submitting your assignment after the deadline to be acceptable?" Thomas returned. "Of course," he added, "look who I'm asking… the student who was late to the very first day of class…"

"I didn't do that on purpose!" she said, clearly irritated. "It was my first time going to the lecture hall! And the campus is huge! For all you know, I could have gotten lost!"

" _…Did_ you get lost?" Thomas asked.

Marie Claire lowered her eyes and mumbled something unintelligible.

"What was that?" he said sarcastically. "I couldn't hear you…"

" _No,_ okay? I didn't get lost," she huffed. She crossed her arms and turned away from him.

Thomas gave a small sigh as he considered the situation. He knew that any late work was ineligible to win. The assignment was specifically for a film that was shot in twenty-four hours, and the slightest concession, even if it were a matter of seconds, would ruin the integrity of the assignment – and worse, it would give his students license to think that his deadlines were flexible.

He extended his hand for their flash drive. While they could not win, he would view their work because the 24 Hour Film was an important assessment tool in gauging the potential of his newest students. As Thomas slid the flash drive into a compartment of his desk, he looked up and noticed their haggard appearances. _A late assignment_ and _they look like they've been dragged through the mud._

"Clean yourselves up, both of you," he said to them, narrowing his eyes at the various rips and stains on their clothing. "You're both a mess. Don't treat your first film screening like a slumber party."

* * *

While a Wednesday evening wasn't the ideal time to hold a film screening, Thomas was heartened to see his students brimming with excitement as they waited in the lobby of the Batista Theatre. Their faces looked tired from the stressful project they had just completed, but the area was filled with their good-natured groans and happy laughter as they recounted to each other the difficulties of the past twenty-four hours. He weaved through the chatting students, catching bits and pieces of conversation along the way.

"–to find a canoe on such short notice? You wouldn't _believe–_ "

"–and then it exploded in front of her face! She wasn't hurt, but we had to film the scene three times because I was laughing so hard–"

" _–most difficult genre!_ What, exactly, is 'steampunk mutant regency?' I don't think _anyone_ has ever–"

Thomas smirked to himself when he heard the last line. It was a little tradition of his to include one very complicated subject in the collection of props and genres he handed out to students. Last year, he had asked one group to use a 'sleep-deprived underwater jack-in-the-box' as their prop, and the year before that, an unlucky pair had to create a film with 'futuristic caveman opera with overtones of classic Greek tragedy' as their genre.

When he reached the other end of the lobby, he wordlessly signaled his students to follow him to the right room so they could begin. As they walked single-file through a dark, narrow corridor, their cheerful conversation turned into excited whispers, knowing that they would soon be showing their films to each other, showcasing their skills and evaluating the competition. Thomas led them through the double-doors of their reserved room and instructed everybody to sit with their partners before going to the podium on the right side of the room.

"I see you've all managed to create and submit your 24 Hour Films… though not all of you were on time." Though he wasn't making eye contact with them, that was a jab at Marie Claire and her partner, and from the small squeak of protest he heard immediately after he finished his sentence, he knew she had noticed.

He continued, "The 24 Hour Film was designed to be an test of your skills, creativity, and perseverance. Sleep is not always a luxury one can afford in the entertainment business, and I can see that you have already learned this lesson." _Clearly. Most of you look like you're about to keel over._ "We will now start watching your films – and no falling asleep!"

* * *

The films weren't bad. As he watched film after film, he saw a tree that had been digitally remastered to resemble a hulking giant – a much more understandable being to challenge to a duel than a tree – and a lone adventurer in a one-seater canoe-shaped space pod that quickly moved downwards before being sucked into a glowing portal. But so far, he was in favor of the group that had 'steampunk mutant regency' as their genre – the contrast between hard science and high society was clearly portrayed in their film, and Thomas wrote the highest score he had given yet on his class scorecard.

Finally, it was time for the last film. Since Thomas had the films shown in order of submission, he knew the last one was made by Marie Claire and Diderot. As the opening credits faded out, Thomas sat back to watch a mysterious cloaked warrior on a magnificent horse, racing across an enormous field of tall, wild grass…

* * *

 _They just had to make the best movie,_ Thomas thought irritably as he watched the exhausted warrior – who turned out to be played by Marie Claire – on the screen carefully approach the dragon egg hidden in the shadows, her eyes holding traces of both triumph and sacrifice. The movie ended just as she reached up and was about to take the dragon egg off the stone pedestal it was resting on, leading to groans of disappointment from the captivated students… and then they stood up, as if unable to help themselves, to give Marie Claire and Diderot thundering applause and shouts of appreciation.

As he observed them graciously accept the praise of their classmates, Thomas looked at his scorecard. _They know and I know that they made the best movie. But they were late. I have to remember that. They were late._

He quickly scribbled their score before making his way to the podium to address the class.

"All the films show tonight stood out – and I will leave you to speculate which films stood out for good reasons and which for bad reasons. Fortunately, after seeing these films, I can say that all of you deserve to be my students for at least another week – congratulations on not completely humiliating yourselves."

They shot him puzzled looks.

"As awards shows are undoubtedly one of the most exasperating parts of Hollywood, I won't drag this out…"

He announced the winning group, causing two of his students to jump up and down excitedly and invite their classmates to a celebratory party. After telling the class that they were to be at Rodeo Drive at nine o'clock in the morning the next day, he ended the film screening and told them to get some sleep.

He picked up his scorecard and walked to the projector, intending to take his laptop with the students' films before heading home himself. However, before he could pack everything up, he was cornered by one of his students.

"What did we do wrong, Professor?" Diderot asked, not pausing for an answer as he continued to talk. "Was it because of our dragon egg prop? It was my fault that we used a fake one – I was the one who broke our original prop! It wasn't Marie Claire's fault, so please don't punish her for this!"

As Thomas unhooked his laptop from the projector and placed it in his bag, he replied, "Do you really think Hollywood is the place to be noble? You're in the wrong place if you think _that's_ going to pay off."

"But what was wrong with our film, Professor?" asked Marie Claire, stepping beside Diderot. "Even with the dragon egg being fake… well, unless you expected us to find a real one somewhere, which frankly would be a much more impressive accomplishment than coming in first in this assignment…" she trailed off.

He blinked. "No, Marie Claire, I did _not_ expect you to find a real dragon egg…" _Why would that even cross her mind?_ "Actually," he admitted, "I was actually very impressed with your film."

"Really?" they asked in unison.

"You found a creative way to show your required prop to the audience instead of showing it in an obvious manner. You built up mystery throughout the story and still left enough at the end to leave the audience feeling intrigued."

"Then why…" Marie Claire started to ask, but Thomas cut her off.

"Because you were late, I could not name you the winners of this assignment," he said. "I do not give special treatment, and letting a tardily-submitted film come in first would definitely be special treatment. Is that enough of an explanation?" he asked them, wanting to leave the theatre.

"Yes, Professor…" said Diderot, putting his hands in his pockets and glumly walking away.

"Thanks anyway, Professor," Marie Claire said. Then she looked over her shoulder. "I had better go talk to him; he was really proud of our movie…" She turned and jogged after Diderot, who still looked quite unhappy, even from behind.

Thomas watched them go, displeased with their immature reactions. He wanted to tell them to take pride in their work, that awards weren't everything, and that they should strive for excellence whether or not the rest of the world acknowledged their creations as worthy of accolades.

 _But those are lessons they'll have to learn on their own._

He picked up his laptop bag, placed the class scorecard inside, and walked towards the exit. His students weren't the only ones who needed some sleep. _I should probably get something to eat first, though…_

* * *

At around eleven o'clock in the evening, on his way home from a late dinner he ate after the film screening at Batista Theatre, he drove past the university gates.

He wasn't sure, but for a moment, he thought he saw Marie Claire nonchalantly planting a bush just outside one of the Movie Star dormitories.

 _Why is she planting a bush at this time of night?_

Instead of stopping to investigate, he sped up until the university was out of sight, telling himself that it wasn't his business how his students dealt with disappointment.

* * *

(End of Chapter Three.) (25/04/16.)

* * *

 **01\. Canon compliance:  
**

The HWU quests that took place in this chapter were Ready, Set, Pitch (Level 03); Lisa's Video (Level 04); and 24 Hour Film (Day 02 of 02).

* * *

 **02\. A tiny request:**

Thank you for reading my fanfic! :D If you've read this far, I hope you'll consider taking an extra minute to leave a review for Chapter Three ("Dragon Egg")? :D Reviews really mean a lot to me as a fanfiction writer because I get to hear your thoughts on something I worked really hard on ^_^ Even if it's the year 2075 or something, I would love to hear your thoughts on this chapter! :D


	4. Day 04 (T): Turquoise (Levels 04-05)

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Hollywood U. This amazing game belongs to Pixelberry! :)**

* * *

 **My responses to your reviews:**

04\. (29/04/16) Mrs. JasperWitlock: What a wonderful compliment; thank you! I will definitely keep updating! :)

03\. (27/04/16) Aza White: I'm happy that Thomas sounds in-character, because I've never really written from a male point-of-view before! And I'm glad you liked that line! I just tried to think of something that Thomas might say XD

* * *

 **Chapter Four: Day 04 (Thursday) – Turquoise (Levels 04-05)**

* * *

"Thanks, Marianne. Looking forward to seeing you as well. Goodbye."

Thomas hung up the phone, pleased that his friend, Marianne Delacroix, had agreed to meet with his class later and the next day. As the editor-in-chief of the highly respected Faux Pas magazine, she had a keen eye for fashion and would be the perfect judge for the final challenge of the fashionista class project, which she had actually come up with herself.

He could see his students walking down the sidewalk to the appointed meeting spot, the café outside which Thomas was currently standing. Some of his students had made the effort to dress up more than usual, but as a Hollywood professional, he was slightly appalled at what some of them considered fashionable. Upon seeing him, they sat on the chairs provided by the café, taking up most of the outdoor tables. As the last student sat down, Thomas picked up a chair and joined one of the tables, choosing one in the middle so that he would be heard by all the students.

"I see you've all managed to find Rodeo Drive, proving your sense of direction."

His eyes fell on a male fashionista student wearing a truly hideous turquoise plaid suit, and he repressed a shudder.

 _Doesn't he own a mirror? Or does he avoid reflective surfaces in general?_

"Now, if only your fashion sense were as developed…"

His students looked around, no doubt wondering which of them elicited that comment.

"The next class project will be related to fashion design. I truly hope that you take this opportunity to learn as much as you can, as some of you _clearly_ need a lot of help when it comes to fashion. Image is extremely important in Hollywood. You will constantly be judged on how you look. To help you with that, I have prepared three challenges for you to test your fashion skills. The final challenge will be a project that will be judged by my friend, Marianne Delacroix."

Amidst the surprised murmurs of his class, Thomas heard a loud, excited squeal.

"I can't believe it! I can't believe it!" Farlene Felderman, a female fashionista student, looked like she was hyperventilating. "Marianne Delacroix! She's my number one fashion icon! Her magazine is the reason I enrolled at Hollywood U to study fashion!"

As Marie Claire attempted to calm her down, Thomas addressed the class once more. "I'll be giving you the first challenge after you have chosen your partners. Don't keep me waiting."

With that, he sat back as his students paired up. They mostly chose people who were sitting beside them, likely because they were friends who had arrived together. Even the student wearing the hideous suit had found a partner, although said partner didn't look too thrilled.

After seeing that everybody had their partners, Thomas started to tell them about the project. "For the first challenge, you will be going shopping-"

"Shopping! Yes!" Farlene waved her arms in the air she attempted to dance while sitting down. "During class! This is the dream!" She noticed everybody looking at her and lowered her arms sheepishly. "Sorry… got a bit overexcited there!"

"Perfectly… understandable," Thomas drawled. "But this is still a class assignment, and it would be to your advantage to pay attention to all of the challenge parameters, as this is not just an excuse for you to have fun during class hours."

He took a number of small leather pouches from his laptop bag and instructed everybody to pass them around. "Your first task is to use this allotted cash – you are not allowed to add your own money – and put together a 90s throwback ensemble. The key aspect to keep in mind for this task is accuracy. Do you have any questions?"

Seeing them shake their heads, he told them that they had forty-five minutes to explore Rodeo Drive and purchase pieces for their ensemble and dismissed them.

As he watched them run off in different directions, his phone buzzed in his pocket. After taking it out and reading the text message he had just received, he replied to the message before putting his phone back in his pocket. Knowing that he was at Rodeo Drive at the moment, Marianne asked if he could pick up a small package for her at a small boutique called Parmesan.

 _I certainly don't mind doing this small favor, but… what a ridiculous name for a fashion boutique…_

After picking up his laptop bag and leaving the café area, he found himself of the sidewalk, looking around in confusion.

 _Now, how do I find out where that is…?_

* * *

After asking three strangers for directions, Thomas finally found the boutique. He opened the door and stepped inside, smiling slightly at the familiar fashion pieces around him. While some of them were before his time, he could see others that were definitely things that people wore during his youth.

He walked up to the counter and greeted the shop owner before introducing himself. The shop owner smiled and told him that Marianne had called ahead to tell him that somebody named Thomas was to pick up her package.

"I have to say," the man said cheerfully as he typed some information into an old desktop computer, "this place is busier than usual this morning! You're the third customer to enter this old shop in the past five minutes!"

Thomas nodded. "The two other customers may be students of mine – they're in the middle of a fashion project."

"Oh, I see!" said the man. "I'll just look for your package in the back room – I'll be back in a jiffy!"

"Please take your time," said Thomas politely, and the shop owner waved to him before entering a small room behind the counter.

As the man left, Thomas turned his back on the counter so that he could see more of the store. The shelves had an eclectic mix of clothes and accessories, but because they were from different fashion eras, not all people would be able to appreciate them.

Thomas was inspecting a small silver tie pin when he heard somebody whine, "How can people consider this stuff fashion?"

He looked up and, as he had predicted, two of his students were in the store with him. Two rows over, he saw Marie Claire and Farlene looking at the different items on display, Marie Claire frowning at the things she saw, while her partner defended the pieces they could see and suggested that they assemble a 90s grunge look.

 _Perhaps she's just extremely picky?_ Thomas thought charitably. After all, Marianne was picky as well when it came to fashion, but there was no doubt that she was at the top of her field.

"How about this?" Thomas heard her say. "I think this is something people would have totally worn in the nineties!"

From where he was standing, he saw the top that Marie Claire was holding up to show her partner… and he instantly regretted it.

 _That… is a ruffled 70s blouse. With lacey cuffs. It is very ruffled. Very, very ruffled. How could she think that people wore that in the 90s!?_

For a brief moment, Thomas went through the university bylaws in his mind, wondering if there was anything that said that students could be kicked out of Hollywood U due to extremely inaccurate, gouge-your-eyes-out-with-a-spoon fashion sense.

 _I… can't think of anything,_ he thought disappointedly. _I guess she'll stay. For now._

As if avidly watching a car accident in progress, Thomas was unable to look away as Marie Claire continued to obliviously suggest truly inappropriate things for their project.

 _Turquoise spandex leggings? Did she think we were all prancing around in eye-watering colors when I was in high school? What does she think we were doing all that time… auditioning for A Chorus Line? And… did she just hold up a pair of fringe moccasins?_

Thomas was not a man who was easily shaken, but he breathed a sigh of great relief that Marie Claire had chosen the movie star major instead of the fashionista major when she enrolled at Hollywood U. As he had observed in her 24 Hour Film, she definitely had great potential as an actress… but if she had chosen fashion as her way of life, Thomas would have sincerely feared for the future of the fashion world.

The shop owner came back to the counter, and Thomas obligingly signed for the package before thanking the man and leaving the store with Marianne's package and a receipt. The more distance he could put between himself and those turquoise spandex leggings, the better.

* * *

Though they had the same amount of cash and the same time constraints, Thomas' students presented very different outfits for him to evaluate when they all assembled at the café at the designated time. He looked at what they presented and wrote their grades on his clipboard. Surprisingly, while the male fashionista student he had observed was completely hopeless at dressing himself, he and his partner had composed a very era-accurate 90s outfit. His partner, a female agent, had even said that he had made the majority of the decisions.

 _Maybe he really does just have something against reflective surfaces._

He moved on to the next table, where he could see Marie Claire and Farlene's finished outfit. Farlene explained that they had gotten the dark green flannel, pre-torn faded jeans, and scruffed-up high top sneakers at Parmesan.

Thomas nodded. "Not the worst ensemble I've seen today. I remember girls wearing similar outfits when I was in high school. You've captured the 90s aesthetic I was asking for, Felicity. Well done." He grimaced, remembering her partner's atrocious suggestions. "I'm very glad you didn't let Marie Claire weigh you down like an anchor."

As he left their table to judge the next team's outfit, he heard Farlene whisper to Marie Claire, "That's a weird thing for him to say about you…"

"He doesn't seem to be my biggest fan, does he?" huffed Marie Claire. "I bet if I told him we went to Parmesan, he'd berate me for going to a cheese shop during class time."

 _If you're better at choosing cheese than choosing fashion pieces, I would rather that you went to a cheese shop instead,_ Thomas responded immaturely in his mind.

As he started to critique the next outfit, he suddenly got a mental image of Marie Claire choosing turquoise cheese.

 _On second thought, scratch that._

* * *

 _They must be really excited,_ Thomas thought, watching his students enter the Hollywood U design lab. After he had looked at everybody's 90s ensembles, he told everybody that they were to be at the university design lab in fifteen minutes – and they were. During those fifteen minutes, Marianne had contacted Thomas to tell him that she was already at the university, and he told her that he would introduce her to the class after they finished the second task of the fashionista class project.

He could see some of them looking around, their eyes widening as they scanned the numerous bolts of fabric that were on display, each shelf filled to the brim from the floor to the ceiling. Shiny, high-quality sewing machines were lined up in rows on long design tables, and another area of the room had other design supplies ranging from needles to very rare exotic dyes. After telling everybody to sit down, he began to speak.

"I can see from the looks on your faces that you can't wait to use Hollywood U's extensive fabric collection, but that is a privilege that must be earned. You need to prove that you are worthy of using these fabrics, and you will prove yourselves by creating an outfit that is comprised of only one type of material… this!"

He used the moment to extract a perfectly clean black garbage bag from a perfectly clean trash can beside him. As he brandished the garbage bag to emphasize the only thing they were allowed to use to make their outfits, he saw several of his students hang their heads in defeat.

 _I can't really blame them… this is probably the last thing they expected they would be working with._

After passing out black garbage bags to each student pair, he informed them of the time limit and told them to get started. Most of them looked extremely unenthusiastic, and Thomas knew their work would suffer because of their attitude.

But on the other hand, there were students who looked very excited at the prospect of working with such a unique type of material, and he silently wondered to himself why they didn't look defeated like the others. Thomas glanced at the clock above the door. He would find out why soon enough.

* * *

Thomas inspected the trousers in front of him. He found it interesting that no two groups created the same thing from the garbage bags they had been given – one group made a dress; another, a cape; yet another, a blouse – and so on. He took notes on his clipboard before moving on to the last group, Marie Claire and Farlene, who had between them a dressmaker's dummy wearing a bikini.

"This looks like it could really be worn at the beach," he commented. "Not bad at all, Farlene."

Farlene smiled. "Thanks, Professor! It was actually Marie Claire's idea to make a bikini, and we really worked well together to make this!"

Thomas looked at Marie Claire, trying to find something in her face that would show that she was actually more knowledgeable about fashion that he had given her credit for, but her confused expression only made Thomas think of her abysmal suggestions to Farlene inside Parmesan.

"I find that hard to believe…" he said as a parting comment to both of them before writing down his observations on their completed piece and walking to the front of the room.

"Before I give you the details of the final challenge," he said to his class, "allow me to introduce a special guest… Marianne Delacroix."

Hearing her cue, Marianne entered the room, waving to the group of excited students in front of her before kissing Thomas on the cheek.

"Wow," he heard Marie Claire murmur in amazement. "He actually has friends?"

 _Yes, I have friends,_ he thought irritably. _What kind of a reaction is that, anyway?_

"Marianne Delacroix is right in front of me, Marie Claire!" Farlene gushed quietly. "I think I'm going to cry! I can't believe I'm actually in the same room as her!"

 _Now that's a reaction from a normal person,_ Thomas thought.

Marianne frowned when she say the students' creations, making him smile. "This kind of gimmicky fashion never was your style, Marianne. But don't worry; the final challenge will be exactly what you asked for…"

Thomas explained the final challenge to the class, telling them that they had to create a 'Grecian Goddess' look for Faux Pas that would be included in a runway show the next day. After telling them that they could begin, his students gathered their things and raced out of the room as if they were being chased by wolves. He shook his head and turned to Marianne.

"I'm sorry you had to see that, Marianne," Thomas chuckled. "Students these days…"

As always, Marianne looked perfectly confident. The hem of her flattering coral dress swayed as she turned to face him completely.

"Thomas," she purred as she stepped even closer to him, "you didn't think I came just for the students, did you?"

For a second time that day, Thomas repressed a shudder, but for a completely different reason. He smirked he closed the distance between them. "I was hoping you would say that…"

* * *

(End of Chapter Four.) (30/04/16.)

* * *

 **01\. Canon compliance:  
**

The HWU quests that took place in this chapter were Lisa's Video (Level 04); The Debut (Level 05); and In Vogue (Day 01 of 03).

* * *

 **02\. A tiny request:**

Thank you for reading my fanfic! :D If you've read this far, I hope you'll consider taking an extra minute to leave a review for Chapter Four ("Turquoise")? :D Reviews really mean a lot to me as a fanfiction writer because I get to hear your thoughts on something I worked really hard on ^_^ Even if it's the year 2075 or something, I would love to hear your thoughts on this chapter! :D


	5. Day 05 (F): Runway Smostril (Level 05)

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Hollywood U. This amazing game belongs to Pixelberry! :)**

* * *

 **My responses to your reviews:**

06\. (01/05/16) Rina-The-Fangirl: Thank you very much! :) I hope you enjoy the next chapter as well! :)

05\. (30/05/16) Vanessa: Wow, you even marked your calendar?! I'll do my best not to disappoint! Thank you so much for the encouragement! :)

* * *

 **Chapter Five: Day 05 (Friday) – Runway Smostril (Level 05)**

* * *

"Do you think your students will impress me, Thomas?"

"I have no doubt they will, Marianne," he replied smoothly. "I've only been their professor for five days and I have already been greatly impressed by their incompetence and lack of imagination."

After checking his watch, Thomas saw that it was time for the final challenge of the fashionista project to begin, so he made eye contact with the head of the backstage crew and gave a signal. The student crew member nodded and ducked behind the curtain. Soon, his freshmen came out and sat on the chairs on the other side of the aisle.

As the music began to play, Marianne asked him, "Will the students be modeling their own work?"

"No," said Thomas. "They were told to find models to help them with that part of the show – which is convenient, as their modeling project will be later today and they'll be meeting with representatives from Bagheera, Giorgetti Motorsport, and Orion."

Marianne shook her head, making her silky red hair sway slightly. "Fragrance, luxury cars, and formal wear, all in one day? I've said it before, Thomas – with your contacts, being just a professor is such… a waste."

"I am the gatekeeper that keeps young Hollywood professionals from producing absolute garbage, Marianne. It's a tough job, but somebody's got to do it," smirked Thomas.

"Such a martyr," she laughed as the first model came out – and very quickly, her smile turned into a frown. "A flowy white dress? How _original._ "

"See?" Thomas sighed. "I'm sure that by the end of this runway show, you'll be as impressed with them as I am."

Model after model came out wearing the same type of white dress, making Thomas shake his head slightly in frustration. Some of them were more refined than others, but most of them still weren't unique enough. Beside him, he could sense that Marianne was thinking the same thing.

But then one model caught his eye. She was wearing a white gown as well, but the stiff, straight lines in the bodice reminded him of Mount Olympus, and the distinct beaded detail in the neckline made him think of gold and feasting. _That dress makes me think of Greek gods and goddesses,_ he mused. At least not all of the dresses were carbon copies of each other.

Finally, the last model strutted out confidently, wearing a white dress just like the others. But to Thomas' surprise, as she moved closer to the head of the catwalk, she let the dress fall away, revealing a second dress that was blue instead of white.

Marianne turned to Thomas and whispered, "That's blue jersey knit… and that trim is undyed leather. It's surprisingly functional and athletic… quite unexpected."

After all the models were finished, Thomas and Marianne discussed each dress. While they were of the same opinion that most of them were derivative of countless flowy gowns, they differed on which dress they though was the best.

Thomas wanted to choose the dress he had noticed earlier as the winner, but Marianne was adamant that the blue dress was the best, as it, according to her, "displayed mature fashion instincts." Shrugging, Thomas conceded and asked the model who made her blue dress… and he raised his eyebrow at her response. He turned to the audience and began to speak.

"Thank you all for designing these dresses as part of your final fashionista challenge – although for some of you, this challenge is ending prematurely, as it is clear that certain people in this room-" Thomas blinked once to chase away the shade of turquoise that entered his mind for one split second, "-clearly need more than two days to improve their fashion sense."

"However," he continued, "others clearly showed that this is not your first time designing _haute couture,_ and because of that, you might think that you deserve to make it into Faux Pas. But there can only be one winning team. While this was not my personal choice, Marianne insisted that this team created the most appropriate dress for the pages of Faux Pas. The winners are Marie Claire and Farlene!"

Farlene shot out of her seat in excitement, "We did it, Marie Claire! We won!"

"It was all because you stayed true to yourself, Farlene!" said Marie Claire, smiling at how happy her class partner was. "Although my moral support might have helped, too!"

 _So all she contributed to this dress was moral support? Just moral support?_ Thomas nodded, understanding at last why their team had succeeded. _That makes sense._

Half an hour later, after telling some of his students to go to Stellar Photo Studio and others to come back in an hour so they could begin their modeling unit, Thomas closed the door so that only he and Marianne were left in the room.

"Well, Thomas," she said, smiling coyly at him, "this was certainly a memorable morning. Are we still on for dinner tomorrow?"

Thomas kissed her on the lips. He murmured, "It's a date."

* * *

"Modeling," Thomas said to his students from the stage after their one-hour break, "is all about adaptation. It is about being what the client needs you to be so that their product will seem irresistible. In a pitch meeting – in every pitch meeting you have – you must be the same. You must be irresistible."

He looked at his students. The models looked quietly confident, while most of the non-models looked mildly nervous.

"Bagheera, known for its fragrances, will be the unfortunate company to first suffer through your attempts to pass yourselves off as competent models. I will be there to observe the shoot, but we will meet back here for the evaluation of your photos. Go to your photographers now – you may need their best efforts if yours aren't sufficient." He gave them directions to the location of the photo shoot before letting them leave.

* * *

After arriving at Stellar Photo Studio, he observed that there were several fashionista students scattered throughout the shooting area. Behind him, the other students started to arrive, making their way to different fashionistas. He noticed Marie Claire and her partner, Modenne Maynard, approaching the two fashionistas closest to Thomas – Addison Sinclair, the girl Marie Claire had been late with on the first day of class – and Farlene, the student who won Marianne's Faux Pas challenge – because Thomas certainly wasn't counting Marie Claire.

Farlene lit up when she saw Marie Claire walking towards her and Addison. "Hey, partner! I'm sure you and Modenne are totally going to ace this challenge!"

 _Not likely,_ Thomas thought. _After all, you carried her in the last one._

"I hope we do!" she replied. Then she added hesitantly, "But I'm a little worried… like I was telling Modenne earlier, I don't really have a lot of experience with modeling projects…"

Modenne added, "I told her that she's going to do great, but she won't believe me!"

"Why don't we do some test shots first?" suggested Addison. "Maybe all you need to boost your confidence is a little practice! We'll go get our cameras!"

While Addison and Farlene were taking their cameras out of their bags, Modenne took Marie Claire aside. "This'll be easy, Marie Claire! I'll teach you a little trick for the cameras to help you out…"

Focusing on Farlene's camera, Modenne demonstrated a pose with intense eye contact.

 _She's smizing,_ observed Thomas. It was a perfectly good pose, but she looked just like every other model he had seen.

"Wow!" gushed Marie Claire. "I'm not sure exactly what you did, but you looked so confident when you were looking at the camera!"

"That's because I was smizing," explained Modenne.

"Smizing? Is it anything like twerking?"

"No, no!" Modenne laughed. "The word 'smize' is short for 'smiling with your eyes.' Smizing makes a model look mysterious and alluring. Why don't you give it a try?"

Marie Claire walked determinedly to the umbrella reflectors with specialized lights. Thomas watched disinterestedly, waiting for her to give a classic model pose as Modenne had done earlier. As Addison started to take picture after picture, Marie Claire closed her eyes for a brief moment, as if recalling what she had learned from Modenne. Then she opened her eyes, looked straight into the camera, and smiled with her…

 _…nostrils? Did she just try to smile with her nostrils?_

Thomas rubbed his eyes with one hand as he continued to watch. Marie Claire was flaring her nostrils as she posed for the camera, shifting her body from time to time to let Addison take her photo from different angles, but she maintained the same unusual facial expression.

 _Nope, not hallucinating._

After Marie Claire finished her test shots, she skipped over to Modenne, who still seemed to be digesting what she had just seen.

"Whoa!" said Modenne, still bewildered. "That was a… unique take on the classic smize, Marie Claire! It was more of a…" Modenne struggled to think of an appropriate term, "…a smostril? It's definitely different… but I'm sure it's the right kind of look for certain types of clients!"

"Just wanted to try something new!" said Marie Claire cheerfully. "I was thinking of smiling with either my eyes, mouth, or nostrils… and I chose the last one!"

"You'll need that decisiveness for this project," said Farlene, just as Addison walked up to them, carefully carrying a small tray with three perfume bottles.

"Bagheera is releasing three new fragrances this season," explained Addison to Marie Claire and Modenne. "You're supposed to choose from _Forbidden Love,_ _For Your Eyes Only,_ and _Maniac._ Which one of these do you want to model for?"

Marie Claire looked at her partner, but Modenne shrugged, leaving the decision up to her. She looked at the three bottles carefully. "Hmm… I think we should do… For Your Eyes Only!"

"Good choice!" said Addision.

 _I would have thought that she would choose Maniac,_ Thomas thought to himself, remembering a recent incident involving a cart. _Oh, excuse me,_ he thought sarcastically, _an_ ice cream _cart._

Getting ready to shoot the first part of their model project, Marie Claire inhaled, smelling the perfume that Addison was spritzing on her and Modenne. "This smells so classy! I feel like there's something dangerous about this scent… like I'm keeping an important secret!"

"Remember what I said earlier about adapting to the campaign?" Modenne said to her. "I'll follow your lead!"

"I think I'll be daring!" Marie Claire said. "That's what this perfume is all about!"

As Farlene and Addison snapped photos, Thomas saw Marie Claire cross her arms defiantly while looking at the camera, looking brave and fearless at the same time. Beside her, Modenne adopted a posh, high-class pose.

 _Marie Claire was able to capture the essence of the perfume? That's quite observant of- Wait, is she-_

After paying more attention to the ongoing photo shoot, Thomas noticed that she was using her new 'technique,' as if thinking that the unusual emphasis on her nostrils would help portray the courage that the fragrance wanted to embody.

 _I take back any good thoughts I may have had about her modeling today,_ Thomas thought, walking away from the four of them to check on his other students. Loyalty _was_ a commendable trait, but he wished that his student could have found something better to give hers to than the _smostril._

* * *

Back in the lecture hall once more, Thomas walked from student to student, briefly glancing at their photos before critiquing their facial expressions, body language, and other inadequacies. There was no need to for him to analyze their photos thoroughly as he had witnessed most of their modeling earlier.

When he found himself in front of Marie Claire, he barely looked at her photos before telling her, "You'll have to do much better than this, Marie Claire. I know Toddlers in Tiaras that are better models than you are."

Instead of giving him an offended glance, which was what he might have expected from her, she replied sarcastically, "I didn't know you were a big fan of that show, Professor Hunt. You're very brave – not many people would admit to even knowing that show, much less watch it as closely as you seem to." Some of her fellow classmates who were within earshot giggled when they heard her reply.

Thomas rolled his eyes as he moved on to her partner, telling Modenne that she would have to do much better if she didn't want to look just like every other model out there.

"You're right, Professor," Modenne said humbly. "I hope I can one day develop the same refined eye for aesthetics that you have now."

Flattered, Thomas replied, "I… uh… I do have a refined eye, don't I?" He looked at her photos again. _Yes, all other models have this same practiced elegance, but is that such a bad thing? It just means that she knows what her craft requires._ "On second thought, Modenne… your photos aren't bad at all. They're acceptable, in fact."

At that, he remembered that he had to tell his students about the next challenge. After commenting on their general incompetence as models, he instructed them where to go for the next part of the project.

* * *

As Thomas parked his car outside Portside Bistro, he noticed that two of his students had beaten him to the restaurant, though they were facing away from him. After closing the driver's seat door and making sure it was locked, he walked to them, catching their conversation as he came closer.

"Cool! Look at the cars we'll be modeling for, Modenne!" said Marie Claire excitedly as she looked at the luxury cars lined up outside the restaurant.

"They look perfect!" praised Modenne. "They must be worth half a million dollars or something!"

"They're worth more than that," remarked Thomas, and his students turned around to face him.

"We're supposed to meet inside the restaurant, so follow me," he said. "Don't waste the Board of Directors' time by keeping them waiting."

He led them to the table where the executives they were to meet were seated and introduced them. As the three of them sat down, Thomas explained to his students that the company wanted to deviate from the standard luxurious image that most of their rivals had because they were in favor of a more approachable image that portrayed accessible, effortless sophistication.

After his short explanation, a waiter arrived at their table and gave menus to him and his students.

Having eaten at Portside Bistro in the past, Thomas already knew what he wanted to order, so he surreptitiously observed his students. He was not worried about Modenne, who seemed to instinctively know that this lunch was an audition of sorts – he was paying more attention to Marie Claire, who didn't seem to notice the serious mood at the table as she glanced at the menu, moving her right index finger as she silently considered her choices.

Her finger came to a stop at the place in the menu that Thomas knew read 'Chili Cheese Nachos,' and he found himself attempting to frantically send Marie Claire a message… telepathically. _Don't choose the nachos… You must not… choose… the nachos…_

After a few tension-filled seconds – for Thomas, at least – Marie Claire closed her menu. She looked at the waiter and said politely, "I'll have the Pasta all'arrabbiata, please."

Thomas silently sighed in relief, brushing aside random thoughts of investigating his apparent mild talent for telepathy as the waiter left and the executives began to chat with his students.

* * *

After his students left the table, the Board of Directors said that they wanted to hire Marie Claire and Modenne for their luxury car campaign. After thanking them for their time, Thomas followed his students outside.

Outside the entrance of the restaurant, he commented on their performance. "You've got the job. Anybody who may have thought that you were eternally unemployable would have been justified, but incorrect."

Modenne looked quietly pleased, but her partner had a vastly different reaction.

"Really? We did?!" Marie Claire jumped up and down, balling her hands into fists as she danced back and forth. "BOOM! In your face, Tommy Boy! Who's the boss? I'm the boss!"

"Congratulations, both of you, on being hired. Just don't make me regret saying that." Thomas eyed Marie Claire disapprovingly. "Marie Claire, it seems that the grace and dignity you had at lunch have both evaporated," he grumbled. "You are once again as refined as a toddler. Don't embarrass the university."

He left them to go back to his car. He was invited by the executives to watch the filming of the luxury car, but he was now glad that he didn't take them up on their offer. All he wanted now was one long, relaxing drive to the next location for the day, far away from obnoxious students who called him 'Tommy Boy.'

* * *

After showing his group of students the billboard where the picture of the winning student was going to be displayed, he told that they were to utilize the best salon in Beverly Hills to look presentable for the runway and ushered them inside.

Two peaceful cups of coffee later, he went back inside the salon to meet with his students. Some did look more sophisticated than they had before, but others had tried too hard and their hair looked completely over-the-top.

"Clearly," Thomas said to them as he looked at one student's hairstyle, which reminded him very much of a dripping beehive, "when one's normal appearance is reminiscent of a natural disaster, not even the best salon in Los Angeles can help… But there's no use crying over spilled milk. Go back to the lecture theatre – it's time for the runway!"

* * *

"You have talented students, Professor Hunt," commented the Orion executive sitting next to him as the first of his students walked down the runway.

Thomas disagreed for the most part, but knew better than to say so. "Thank you." He continued to observe, trying to ignore the loud, upbeat music blaring over the speakers as he did so.

As Marie Claire appeared from behind the curtains and sauntered to the front of the catwalk, the executive continued, "Like most models, your students seem poised, elegant-"

He suddenly stopped talking. Marie Claire, after she reached the end of the runway, had deviated from the norm – again. Instead of striking a confident pose like the rest of her peers, she instead put both of her hands on her hips and flared her nostrils in her now-typical smostril as she shot Thomas a death glare, looking as if she wanted to spear him and roast him over an open fire.

 _That impertinent…!_

Rather than waste time finishing his thought, Thomas narrowed his eyes and glared right back until she turned left and strutted away from him to return backstage.

Now in a bad mood, Thomas carelessly observed his remaining students as they walked and posed for Orion. He watched Modenne walking towards them, the bright lights overhead clearly showing a unique, eye-catching birthmark on her neck.

 _She walks like a professional, and she's not afraid to be herself. She stands out._

Beside him, he could see the executives sit up slightly to pay closer attention to Modenne. After posing defiantly at the end of the runway, she turned and walked away, unashamed of the birthmark that other models would have concealed. Other models came after her, but they were far less memorable.

After conferring with the Orion executives, who were of the same opinion that Modenne was clearly the best model for their campaign, Thomas got up on the runway, glaring at the students who were catcalling for him to pose and strut until they quieted down. He announced Modenne as the winner, calling her onstage.

As they both stood on the stage, facing the executives and students, Modenne asked him, "Professor Hunt, why did Orion choose me?"

He replied, "They thought you were fearless because, rather than looking like everybody else, you chose to be unique, and that's what Orion wants for their fashion campaign. Congratulations."

* * *

When he arrived home after a long day of driving all over Los Angeles for the different parts of the modeling challenge, he went straight to his journal to vent.

 _ **"In the unlikely event that the smostril becomes a classic aspect of the modeling industry, I will document here that I was present when it was shown to the world for the very first time. But it is more likely that it will not, and that Marie Claire just has poor modeling instincts – and very poor fashion instincts as well, judging from yesterday's incident at a fashion boutique, which I would prefer not to think about ever again.**_

 _ **"But I can still recall – though only dimly, in the light of her more recent, more noticeable failings – her effortless portrayal of a mysterious and compelling stranger in her team's 24 Hour Film. And because of her remarkable on-screen performance, and more importantly, her unfailing determination during the first day of class, I believe, despite my better judgment, that she has great potential.**_

 _ **"However, I will also document here that it is the creation of the smostril that has officially earned Marie Claire the honor of being my most frustrating student - for how can a student be skilled and creative in acting, yet so lacking in other instincts, such as those of modeling and fashion, that are required for stardom?"**_

* * *

(End of Chapter Five.) (05/05/16.)

* * *

 **00\. Important author's note:**

Hello, everybody! :) Thank you very much for reading the first five chapters of my fanfic! :) In writing this story, my number one goal is to write an MC/Hunt fanfic that is one hundred percent canon-compliant. Using Hollywood U transcripts, videos, and screenshots that were available online (thanks to the dedicated efforts of my fellow Hollywood U fans! :D), it took a lot of reading and planning to figure out when days began and when days ended in the main quests and the non-main quests. Thanks to my detailed, color-coded Excel outline, I know exactly what will happen in every single chapter of this fanfic, from the first scene of the first chapter to the very last line of the final chapter, so this fanfic will not be abandoned, ever! :D (Just wanted to make that clear! :D)

* * *

 **01\. Canon compliance:  
**

The HWU quests that took place in this chapter were The Debut (Level 05); In Vogue (Day 02 of 03); and Role Models (Day 01 of 01).

* * *

 **02\. A tiny request:**

Thank you for reading my fanfic! :D If you've read this far, I hope you'll consider taking an extra minute to leave a review for Chapter Five ("Runway Smostril")? :D Reviews really mean a lot to me as a fanfiction writer because I get to hear your thoughts on something I worked really hard on ^_^ Even if it's the year 2075 or something, I would love to hear your thoughts on this chapter! :D


	6. Day 06 (S): Mischief (Level 05)

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Hollywood U. This amazing game belongs to Pixelberry! :)**

* * *

 **My responses to your reviews:**

10\. (06/05/16) Vanessa: Oh, wow, thank you so much! :) Because this story is from Thomas' point of view, I can't describe Marie Claire very much yet, so we only see what he notices as her professor. With that said, I'm really happy to hear that Marie Claire's character is shining through in this story! :)

09\. (06/05/16) Hm: Thank you! I'm happy you like my fanfic! :)

08\. (06/05/16) Aza White: Haha, thanks a lot! :D The silly options in the game have a lot of fanfic potential! And I'm really glad you mentioned the nachos part… that was so much fun to write! :D Whenever I reread that part, I always imagine the voice Thomas used in his mind XD

07\. (05/05/16) Rina-The-Fangirl: Thank you :) This game and this fanfic are very important to me :)

* * *

 **Chapter Six: Day 06 (Saturday) – Mischief (Level 05)**

* * *

Thomas looked carefully to his left and to his right as he jogged along the harbor while carrying a small paper bag. While it was unlikely that he would again see his students like he did four days ago on Tuesday, he still wanted to make sure none of them were around. As this was the first Saturday of the new semester, it was also his last guaranteed Saturday that he would be left to his devices, as throughout the year, the various film screenings, outdoor performances, and other projects of his students would keep him from having peaceful weekends.

 _But maybe nothing will happen next week that will require my immediate attention, and I'll have another peaceful Saturday,_ he thought as he continued to jog.

As he approached a pier that had an unobstructed view of the ocean, he decided to stop and have a little snack. After walking up to the end of the pier, he sat down and opened his paper bag, which had a small package of mixed nuts and dried fruit. He had stopped by a farmer's market during his jog and had decided to buy something to support the local merchants, and he was about to find out if the dollars he had paid for the healthy trail mix had been worth it. He opened the package and started to eat.

 _These aren't bad,_ he thought as munched on his impromptu snack. The mixed fruits were tart and sweet, and the nuts were full of flavor.

As he continued to eat, he noticed a small, black bird land a few feet to his right, on the very edge of the pier. He turned to look at the bird, which, eerily, was also looking at him.

 _Is that a crow, a raven, or a blackbird?_

Not knowing the slightest difference between the three birds he had named in his mind, he shrugged as he turned his gaze back to the ocean – but, feeling the bird's heavy gaze still upon him, he once again turned back to the bird.

Seeing that it had regained his interest, the bird flapped its wings a little – Thomas noticed that the bird's right wing had a few white feathers, providing a vivid contrast to the majority of its glossy black ones – and took two small hops towards him. It met his eyes as it tilted its head inquiringly.

 _What does it want?_ Thomas asked himself, looking first at the bird, and then the gap between them, and finally himself – or more specifically, his lap, on top of which his left hand was holding his small pack of dried fruit and mixed nuts.

 _Does it want some?_

Feeling sorry for the bird, he took some raisins and peanuts – he chose small things so that the bird would not choke – and tossed them to the bird, which let out a few louds _caws_ in thanks before bending down to snap up the rare treats.

 _What a polite bird,_ he thought in amusement. _If only my students were that polite._

He turned back to look at the ocean again, but after thinking of his students, he was reminded of the work he had to do at home before his date with Marianne in the evening. Unable to regain the peaceful frame of mind he had earlier, he regrettably decided that it was time to go. Turning to take one last look at the bird, he discovered that it had already flown away.

Feeling slightly put-off, even though he knew perfectly well that the bird had not been obligated to stay or even to give him a goodbye _caw,_ he stood up, brushed himself off, and did a few stretches before jogging back to his house.

* * *

After a refreshing shower, Thomas decided to take his laptop and papers to his back porch so that he could enjoy the fresh air as he worked on the following week's schedule. The weather was perfect for working outside – sunny, without being overbearingly so, and with an occasional breeze. He set out his laptop and papers on the table before taking out an expensive dark red fountain pen that he had bought for himself to mark his first year of teaching and placing it on top of the papers.

He opened the relevant files on his laptop and thought to himself as he typed. _Let's see… I'll be teaching my freshmen about agents on Monday…_ Shifting to the Excel file that had his schedule, he pressed the down key until he reached the row that was for the upcoming Monday. After writing a few words and changing the color of part of the Monday row to green, he continued to think. _I'll have to drum into their minds that while agents are necessary, the vast majority of them are conniving liars…_

Absorbed in his work, he continued to type, unaware of his surroundings. _Then after that will be the improvisation unit… I'll have to think of different scenarios for-_

"Ouch!"

Shaking the fingers of his right hand, he wondered where the sudden, sharp pain had come from. Looking around, he saw that he was alone, but he knew that the pain had not been in his imagination. Thinking that perhaps a bee had stung him before quickly buzzing away, he decided that there was nothing he could do, and began typing once more.

 _It would be good if I had scenarios from different time periods so that I can test their general knowledge as well as their acting skills,_ Thomas thought, writing down a few ideas in the appropriate file. _Not just different decades, but different centuries as well… that way, I-_

 _"Ouch!"_

Feeling again the same kind of pain he had experienced only a few minutes ago, he quickly darted his eyes to scan his whole backyard, but again, he could see no one. _But that definitely wasn't a bee sting… whatever it was felt larger than a bee… so, not an insect…_

Deciding that he would try to catch the culprit, he opened a new file and started typing random letters, waiting for whatever it was to come again. His fingers were moving on his keyboard, but, with his head bent down, he was looking for anything suspicious out of the corners of his eyes. As he kept typing, he thought to himself, _Any minute now…_

Because he was actively looking for it, this time Thomas saw a flash of black before he felt the now-familiar pain in his fingers – but not to be defeated, he reached out to grab whatever it was, half-rising from his chair as he strained his arms to reach as far as possible. Unfortunately, he couldn't catch the creature – but at least he discovered what it was.

Standing on the back of the chair on the other side of the table was the bird from earlier, judging from the white feathers on its right wing. As he met its eyes, the bird flapped out its wings once, as if in greeting, but its talons continued to grasp the back of the chair it was on.

Thomas crossed his arms as he looked at the bird, but if had hoped to intimidate it, he failed. The bird blinked at him, but was otherwise unaffected by the scathing glare he was sending its way.

"Why did you bite my fingers?" he asked the bird. He felt foolish for doing so, but he could afford to be a little bit foolish in his own backyard.

In reply, the black bird gave a few caws and flapped its wings again, using an opportune breeze to fly the short distance from the back of the chair to the edge of the table. As Thomas' laptop was slightly angled towards him, he could see the bird without a problem.

Once on the table, the bird gingerly took a few steps forward before tiling its head at an almost 180-degree angle so that it was looking almost straight up, and _cawed_ to him again. As Thomas watched, the bird bent down to peck at nothing.

 _Is it… miming that it wants more food?_

Unsure about what to do, he stayed silent as the bird finished its pretend pecking and looked up at him again in supplication.

"Oh… alright," he said, partly irritated but mostly amused. He made a quick trip to his kitchen to get two small plates and a medium-sized bag of the same type of food before going back to his back porch and setting one small plate in front of him and another in front of the bird.

As he poured some dried fruit and nuts onto both of their plates, he said to the bird, "I'm only doing this because even _you're_ a better actor than some of my students."

The bird, being a bird, said nothing, but seemed to be eager for him to finish pouring so that it could start eating.

After Thomas finished, he put down the bag and gestured to the bird to help itself. He watched as the bird started to eat, thinking that it was quite an unusual bird.

When the bird seemed full – it had stopped eating even though there were still a few things on its plate – it hopped towards him. Thomas glared at it sternly, mentally warning it that it had better not bite him again – but it only came closer to give his fingers a playful nip.

Despite himself, Thomas smiled.

 _Flighty, but polite; presumptuous, but persistent; vicious, but affectionate._ Thomas didn't know a single thing about avian anatomy that wasn't common knowledge, but he did come to one conclusion. _With such a complex mix of contradictions, this bird must be female._

The bird gave his fingers another soft nip before looking up at him guilelessly.

 _This is only the second time I've seen this bird, but she's obviously a troublemaker. I wouldn't be surprised if this was her normal behavior – going around, getting into all sorts of mischief…_

Thomas paused.

 _Mischief… that's a good name for this bird._

Feeling a little silly, he nevertheless asked the bird, "Would it be alright if I called you Mischief?"

In response, Mischief cawed, used her beak to quickly grab Thomas' expensive fountain pen, and hopped to the edge of the table before flapping her wings and flying away.

Thomas watched her go, feeling a vague sense of loss – but then he noticed that she had only flown to the top branches of a tree on his property. After stopping there for a few moments, he saw Mischief fly back towards him, landing on the precise spot where his fountain pen had been only seconds before, her beak empty.

 _But where's my fountain pen?!_

"Mischief," he said sternly, hoping to portray his disapproval to the bird, "where is my fountain pen?"

"Caw!" Mischief replied enthusiastically. "Caw, caw!"

Thomas sighed, deciding to quit while he was ahead – ignoring the small voice at the back of his mind that said that he was most definitely not ahead, as the bird had food and his fountain pen as its spoils, while all he had won was an acquaintance with a winged rascal.

"Caw, indeed," he muttered to himself, turning back to his laptop.

After a while, he noticed Mischief sneakily hop to his plate, which had more nuts and dried fruit than her own. She pecked at its contents cautiously, looking at him every so often as if she expected him to push her away.

Still facing his laptop, Thomas raised his eyebrow but otherwise continued to type as if he hadn't noticed. He didn't mind, at least _this_ time, that she was eating from his plate – and he felt a little smug that she seemed to retain a sense of wariness while around him. If Mischief was going to pilfer his snacks, the least she could do was feel guilty about it.

* * *

Much later, Thomas brought his sports car to a stop in front of Beluga, a fancy restaurant with an ocean view. He gave his keys to the valet and received a ticket stub in return.

As he walked to the entrance, he heard a loud noise above him. He thought the noise sounded like a jet, but he couldn't see anything when he looked up. Shrugging, he thought no more of it as he entered the restaurant, looking forward to meeting Marianne inside.

* * *

(End of Chapter Six.) (07/05/16.)

* * *

 **01\. Canon compliance:  
**

The HWU quests that took place in this chapter were The Debut (Level 05) and Las Vegas Love (Day 01 of 01).

* * *

 **02\. A tiny request:**

Thank you for reading my fanfic! :D If you've read this far, I hope you'll consider taking an extra minute to leave a review for Chapter Six ("Mischief")? :D Reviews really mean a lot to me as a fanfiction writer because I get to hear your thoughts on something I worked really hard on ^_^ Even if it's the year 2075 or something, I would love to hear your thoughts on this chapter! :D

* * *

 **03\. Two interesting HWU things:  
**

One, the HWU online television series! :D Did you know that a fellow HWU fan, Zoe (her username on Tumblr is "dizzyclueless"), is diligently working on HWU: The Series? It's a fan-made online television series based on Thomas Hunt and other characters from Hollywood U! ^_^ (At the moment, I'm just a very enthusiastic supporter... but I would LOVE to be involved in HWU: The Series someday! :D) You can find out more about this AMAZING television project on Tumblr (their official Tumblr blog is "hwutheseries"). I just LOVE how Pixelberry and Hollywood U have inspired SO many of us fans! ^_^

And two, my second HWU fanfic! :D If you're interested in reading Marie Claire's perspective of this chapter (Chapter Six), then I encourage you to read "NYTMC 2: Marie Claire's Interlude" ^_^ Here's the summary: _"(Part two of the NYTMC series.) (Midquel.) How did Marie Claire Hart fall in love with her most dashing, yet most cantankerous, professor? A retelling of my MC/Hunt fanfic "NYTMC 1: Not Your Typical Meet-Cute" from Marie Claire's perspective, in 100-word drabbles."_


	7. Day 07 (S): Integrity (Level 05)

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Hollywood U. This amazing game belongs to Pixelberry! :)**

* * *

 **My responses to your reviews:**

13\. (09/05/16) Chelynnpa: I'm glad you did! :)

12\. (08/05/16) Bothergirl99: I like Mischief too! :P Glad that it doesn't sound out-of-character to you for Thomas to like birds! :D

11\. (07/05/16) Vanessa: Thanks a lot! :)

* * *

 **Chapter Seven: Day 07 (Sunday) – Integrity (Level 05)**

* * *

Thomas thought about his date with Marianne the previous evening as he once again took his laptop to his backyard. He had wondered if he would feel the same way he once used to after not seeing her for a while, but while the date itself was alright, when he arrived home he realized that the night had felt more like a night spent with a friend rather than a romantic interest.

 _Although,_ he smirked, _she's still a very good kisser._

As he sat down and opened his laptop, he looked at the tree where Mischief had taken his fountain pen. While she had not come out to caw at him as soon as he entered the backyard, he surmised that she must be busy doing other things at the moment. He had a feeling that he would be seeing more of the bird as the weeks passed. _I would wish that the annoying thing would leave me alone, but I don't think I would be fortunate enough to have my wish granted,_ he thought to himself, studiously ignoring the trail mix and two plates he had brought out along with his laptop.

 _I should e-mail my teaching assistant today, since I forgot to do so last night,_ he reminded himself. _And I'll get a practicing agent to test the newer agents in my class. But who…?_

The answer came to him immediately. _Ethan Blake is probably the best choice. Since he was able to get Marie Claire a high-profile project so soon after her disciplinary meeting, he must be a shark. But I'll tell him that he shouldn't take pity on them, as we need to establish their base skills to see what they need to improve…_

However, before starting on that message, he remembered something else. _I haven't explained the class schedule or the readings or the essay assignments yet,_ he groaned silently to himself. He outlined and composed an e-mail to his freshmen students.

Explaining the structure of his class, he informed them that the class schedule would be somewhat irregular – sometimes, there would be classes in the mornings, sometimes in the afternoons, sometimes during both; in addition, there were occasional projects, film screenings, or even classes in the evenings or weekends, depending on the topics for the week and both his own availability and the availability of his industry contacts who were going to be involved. He included the schedule for the week - only the times, not the topics - and wrote that in the future, he would e-mail them the class schedule the weekend before. _Let's see who reads their e-mail during the weekend..._

He also explained that he would be assigning readings and essays through e-mail, and in addition to those, they would be required to submit a reflective essay every Monday on the activities they had done the week before. As he had not told them about the reflective essay in their first class – he wanted them to settle in first, but he certainly wasn't going to tell _them_ that – their first two reflective essays were to be submitted in eight days, which was the Monday after next.

After sending his teaching assistant, Ethan Blake, and his freshmen students the necessary e-mails – not to mention a short one to his Thesis Lab students, which was basically along the lines of "ask me for help if you need to, but otherwise, you pretty much know what to do with your time" – he sat back. Saturdays and Sundays were meant for peace and relaxation, and with all his work done, perhaps he could spend weekends the way they were meant to be spent – not having to think of his students in any way, shape, or form.

As if on cue, his phone rang.

He took the call – and regretted both that decision and the two-minute conversation that followed.

* * *

 _I shouldn't have taken that phone call,_ he grumbled to himself as he walked to the head of a long line of people. On the phone, Andrew told him that Lisa Valentine had sent the university one VIP invitation to her album release party to show them the first successful high-profile project of one of their students, Marie Claire Hart. As the professor who had led the disciplinary meeting, Andrew decided that Thomas was the best choice to be the university's representative.

After irritably asking Andrew if he was to be Marie Claire's babysitter for all of her future projects, he had laughed and said, "Sure thing, Thomas! How generous of you!" and hung up while still laughing, leaving a seething Thomas no choice but to pick up the invitation that had already been placed in his university mailbox before driving to Club TBD, where the party was being held.

He showed the VIP invitation to the club's bouncer, who smiled and gestured for him to enter.

Inside, it was loud and crowded and hot. Large groups of people, all dressed very fashionably, were dancing, eating, and chatting, clearly having a good time. Some of them were in their twenties, but others were older, like himself, and most likely had useful connections for Lisa, Marie Claire and the rest of their creative team.

The music blasted above and around him as he squeezed past people to look for a spot somewhere inside the club that wasn't completely filled with fun-loving party-goers. As he did so, he noticed the decorations. There was a statue of an unhappy Lisa Valentine sitting at a table with small children wearing party hats. It was a stark contrast to a nearby poster, which had Lisa partying in tight, revealing clothing, not caring that the old-fashioned adults who were looking at her were extremely shocked.

Instead of finding a quiet corner in the room, all his walking led him to an even more crowded dance floor with a champagne waterfall on the far right side. _Get in the middle of a group of inebriated, gyrating party animals?_ Thomas shuddered. _I don't think so…_

Before he could find somewhere better to stand, the music changed just as the lights went out. A moment later, a lone spotlight moved and shone on a young woman who was sitting on a fancy swing high above the dance floor.

 _So that's Lisa Valentine._

Smiling brightly, Lisa spread her arms as if she wanted to embrace everybody there. "Welcome, my fans, my friends, my Valentines!"

The crowd cheered, and Thomas himself nodded. _This must be a very exciting night for her._

"Thank you all for attending the release of 'Grown-Up,' my debut music album! We're not only going to party hard to celebrate the release, though… we're also going to show you guys the cool music video of the album's main song!"

Everybody cheered even louder as Lisa did a flip and landed on a rising stage that Thomas had not noticed earlier, as he was also listening to her like the rest of the crowd.

On the stage, Lisa continued, "But before we show you our music video, I have to bring up somebody very near and dear to my heart! Everybody, please give it up for Marie Claire!"

Thomas raised his eyebrow as Marie Claire hopped onto the stage and stood next to Lisa, wondering why his student had been singled out like that.

"This video would have never been created if not for the artistry of my good friend, Marie Claire, who's sure to be the next big thing in Hollywood!"

 _That's quite an endorsement,_ Thomas thought dryly.

"As you're about to see, Marie Claire is the awesomest co-star a girl could ask for!" Lisa gave a blushing Marie Claire a quick hug before continuing. "And now… let's see it! The music video premiere of 'Grown-Up!'"

Thomas found himself being pushed closer to the stage as the crowd surged towards a parting curtain on the far wall, where a gigantic television screen was situated. The music video started to play, and Thomas observed – not that it required much thought, since he had gathered as much for the name of the album – that it was a song about a young girl who wanted to be an adult. Lisa, the star of the music video, was first sitting with a group of children at the kid's table of a party, but then she flipped over the table and began to sing as she moved away from the table and started to dance. Suddenly, there were more scantily-dressed people on-screen dancing with Lisa, and there was a short shot of Marie Claire and Lisa dancing and celebrating their newfound freedom.

 _There she is. Her enthusiastic dancing shows exactly what the song wants to express._

Soon after, out of nowhere, the ice cream cart-riding madman Thomas had seen in the park on Tuesday jumped through a window engulfed in flames, arms and legs flailing in the air before he crashed into the water below.

 _Why am I not surprised?_

The video ended with a shot of a gaggle of party-goers passed out on the floor, Marie Claire and Lisa in the middle. Thomas sensed the energy of the crowd he was in, and he felt, before he heard, their excitement as they exploded in applause. He noticed that he was now very close to the stage – Marie Claire and Lisa were only a few feet away, beaming as they accepted compliments from those surrounding them. There were walking in his direction, though as Marie Claire was dazzled by her success at her first high-profile project, it was highly unlikely she noticed that she was now only inches away from her surly professor.

Somebody brushed past Thomas and lightly tapped Marie Claire's shoulder, who turned to the side and saw that Holly Chang wanted to speak with her. With his close – though unwilling – proximity, Thomas was able to hear every word of their quick exchange.

Holly put a finger on her lips before saying to Marie Claire, "Shh. I'm not here. I don't go to these events – too many shallow, unprincipled camera-chasers for me to be comfortable."

"Umm… unless I'm hallucinating, you _are_ here, though. So… what brings you here?" said Marie Claire, tying to look inconspicuous as per Holly's obvious wishes.

"I saw that you stuck faithfully to my script. I wanted to tell you how much I appreciate your loyalty," she said, smiling gently at Marie Claire.

Marie Claire's eyes widened as she tried to respond. "Holly, I-"

"That's all I wanted to say," said Holly, looking left and right as she searched for an exit. "I'll be in touch." She left a now-silent Marie Claire.

 _That was strange,_ Thomas thought as Marie Claire and Lisa continued to move through the crowd. _Marie Claire asked Holly to write the script, so why wouldn't she stick to it?_

As the night's two stars moved away from him, so did most of the crowd, giving Thomas a better view of the room. Two things immediately caught his interest: the champagne waterfall he had noticed earlier, and a bar situated on the opposite side of the dance floor that was sure to have a good bottle of scotch.

Thomas gave a small grin as he considered his options. _Decisions, decisions…_

* * *

Half an hour – and a glass each of champagne and scotch – later, Thomas decided that he had fulfilled his obligation and left the club, tilting his head up as he felt the cool outdoor breeze. He walked up to the edge of the sidewalk and was about to cross the street to go to his car when he stopped. _I should probably send Andrew a message about the album release._

He took his phone out of his pocket and started to type just as the student he was typing about rushed out of the club doors and came to a stop beside a person Thomas hadn't noticed before, even those he was only a couple of feet away. _Must I be subjected to all of her conversations tonight?_ Thomas complained to himself as he heard Marie Claire and Addison talk briefly about Brian Ratzik before Addison got inside a taxi and left.

Just when he thought he would have some peace and quiet to write his message, he heard footsteps.

"Marie Claire…" he heard Chris Winters say, "…is everything okay?

She turned to face him. "Chris?"

 _Don't talk… I don't want to hear a third conversation… Don't talk…_

"You look down for somebody who's just had a pretty successful night," he said worriedly. "Are you okay? What happened?"

 _Hmm. Maybe that telepathy thing comes and goes._

"Well…" mumbled Marie Claire sadly, "something's wrong with Addison. I wish I could fix things for her, but I don't even know what's wrong…"

"You really care about her, don't you?" asked Chris.

"She's a close friend," said Marie Claire. "She was the first person I met at Hollywood U. I wish I could help her… But I'll be fine…"

 _She sure doesn't sound fine._

Chris must have noticed as well. "You sure you're going to be okay?"

"I… I think so," she replied hesitantly. "It's just… The more I learn about what life is like here, the more I doubt myself. Can I really make it here?"

 _This is a surprise. She's usually much more confident than this._

"It sounded to me like Addison was on her way to being an actress before she hit a speed bump of sorts," continued Marie Claire. "But after that speed bump, she never recovered, and she's doing something else now. What if something like that happens to me?"

 _That's Hollywood. Some make it, some don't._

Chris, though, was much more reassuring than Thomas' silent, pragmatic self. "You'll make it, Marie Claire," he said, smiling at her. "I know you will! But nobody said that it would be easy, right?"

"Some people sure make it easy, though… effortless…" she protested.

"Well, I don't know about those people, but for others, it's not always a straight and easy road!" Chris coughed meaningfully. "One of us might have spent two years as an underwear model for Wal-Mart before getting their big break…"

Thomas blushed, remembering his own modeling past. He was glad they didn't seem to notice him. He would have left earlier, but leaving would have drawn even more attention to him, so he opted to just stand there and hope that they would go away soon.

Marie Claire laughed as she replied to Chris, "No way! You did that?!"

"Yup!" said Chris, looking like he was happier now that Marie Claire had cheered up. "Not only did I get some great discounts on boxer-briefs, but that experience helped me make my way up the Hollywood ladder. That's why I like helping people like you… sometimes, all people need is a little push."

As if remembering something, Marie Claire hung her head briefly before looking back at him. "About that… I'm sorry I said no to your offer to be in the video, Chris… But changing Holly's script without her permission seemed wrong to me…"

Shocked, Thomas repeated in his mind what he had just heard... but his shock remained. _She turned down the opportunity to cast an A-list star... out of loyalty to Holly?_

Chris nodded. "Don't worry, I understand. But you should smile, Marie Claire! With your success tonight, I know your big break is just around the corner! And you have at least one friend in this place… me."

Marie Claire put her hand on her chest and gasped as if offended, but her wide smile gave her away. "So I'm just a friend? I suppose you take all of your friends on special weekend trips to Las Vegas, then…" She pretended to be annoyed as she turned her back on him.

Laughing, Chris spun her around by the shoulders, not letting go of her even after she was already facing him. "Well, I didn't want to be presumptuous…" he said playfully, lowering his hands to her waist.

She raised an eyebrow at his words. "I suppose I'll have to be the presumptuous one, then…" she whispered coyly, before grabbing his tie and pulling him down for a kiss.

 _That's it,_ Thomas told himself. _I don't care anymore whether or not they notice me – I'm not going to stand here while a student of mine does_ that _just a few feet away!_ As quietly as he could, he stepped away from them and crossed the street.

When he reached his car, he looked at his phone, which had his half-written message on the screen. Without any more distracting conversations occurring in the vicinity, he was able to finish writing the message and send it before getting inside his car and making his way home.

* * *

In his bedroom, Thomas flipped to the correct page in his journal and started to write, thinking to himself that while he had felt uncomfortable at times during the evening, he was also partly glad that he had been there for two of the three conversations he had overheard.

 ** _"As I have witnessed after being forced to attend a certain music album release party, Marie Claire has completed her first high-profile project. Not only was she shown on the video, but from what I have learned, she was also in charge of at least some of the creative decisions that went into its creation._**

 ** _"While this video is an impressive feat for somebody who has only been my student for seven days, something else caught my attention. It seems that she had the opportunity to include an A-list star in the music video. Even a cameo appearance by an A-list star would have exposed her music video to a much bigger audience. However, Marie Claire refused the opportunity, showing loyalty to the music video's scriptwriter, even though she has only known her for five days._**

 ** _"To most, the obvious choice would have been to deviate from the script. It is a rare thing to meet a student with this kind of integrity. More than her determination and her acting skills, it is this integrity which proves to me, however grudgingly I must admit it, that she is my most promising student."_**

He closed his journal. After the loud environment he had been in tonight, not to mention the three conversations he had witnessed, he wanted nothing more than to finally go to sleep.

* * *

(End of Chapter Seven.) (14/05/16.)

* * *

 **01\. Canon compliance:  
**

The only HWU quest that took place in this chapter was The Debut (Level 05).

* * *

 **02\. A tiny request:**

Thank you for reading my fanfic! :D If you've read this far, I hope you'll consider taking an extra minute to leave a review for Chapter Seven ("Integrity")? :D Reviews really mean a lot to me as a fanfiction writer because I get to hear your thoughts on something I worked really hard on ^_^ Even if it's the year 2075 or something, I would love to hear your thoughts on this chapter! :D

* * *

 **03\. Two interesting HWU things:  
**

One, the HWU online television series! :D Did you know that a fellow HWU fan, Zoe (her username on Tumblr is "dizzyclueless"), is diligently working on HWU: The Series? It's a fan-made online television series based on Thomas Hunt and other characters from Hollywood U! ^_^ (At the moment, I'm just a very enthusiastic supporter... but I would LOVE to be involved in HWU: The Series someday! :D) You can find out more about this AMAZING television project on Tumblr (their official Tumblr blog is "hwutheseries"). I just LOVE how Pixelberry and Hollywood U have inspired SO many of us fans! ^_^

And two, my second HWU fanfic! :D If you're interested in reading Marie Claire's perspective of this chapter (Chapter Seven), then I encourage you to read "NYTMC 2: Marie Claire's Interlude" ^_^ Here's the summary: _"(Part two of the NYTMC series.) (Midquel.) How did Marie Claire Hart fall in love with her most dashing, yet most cantankerous, professor? A retelling of my MC/Hunt fanfic "NYTMC 1: Not Your Typical Meet-Cute" from Marie Claire's perspective, in 100-word drabbles."_


	8. Day 08 (M): Yummy Brains (Levels 06-07)

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Hollywood U. This amazing game belongs to Pixelberry! :)**

* * *

 **My responses to your reviews:**

14\. (15/05/16) Fioreariadne1: I'm happy that you like the way I've structured my fanfic! :D This fandom means a lot to me, so it's important to me that I remain consistent with updates so that my readers will be able to trust me. It feels great that my efforts have been noticed; thank you! :)

* * *

 **Chapter Eight: Day 08 (Monday) - Yummy Brains (Levels 06-07)**

* * *

Thomas woke up bright and early on Monday morning. He was happy that he had a light class load for the day – only a short lecture and an even shorter meeting. Reaching for his phone, he checked to see if Andrew had sent a reply… and he groaned.

Andrew _had_ replied to his message – and had asked Thomas to oversee two students' projects. The first was a horror television in which one of his freshmen was the lead make-up artist for one episode, and the second was an underwear catalogue shoot.

There was only an hour to go before the filming of the first project, so he would have to hurry to get ready and arrive on time. So much for having a lazy morning.

* * *

He did arrive on time, but barely. Security at the production studio had taken time because while he was well-known in the industry, he was not formally affiliated with the network and so had to go through the tedious process of registering as a guest. Thankfully, though, there were no problems after that, and he was able to find the correct set. He was just looking for his student, Masha McKinnon, when she found him first.

"Professor Hunt!" Thomas turned when he heard his name and saw Masha making her way to him. "What brings you here, Professor?"

"The university sent me to observe your work here," replied Thomas. "I trust your work will be up to standard?"

"Oh, no problem, Professor Hunt!" said Masha cheerfully. "I've worked hard on my sketches for everybody's make-up, so everything should be fine!" Then she blinked. "There is one problem, though…"

"What is it?" asked Thomas.

"One of our ten zombie extras didn't show up, so the approaching crowd of soulless monsters won't look quite right if there aren't enough…"

Trailing off, she seemed to search her mind for a solution, before opening her eyes a bit wider as if she had an idea.

"Hey, Professor, I heard that you used to be an actor-"

"Absolutely not, Masha," he said sternly, disappointing his student. _My students and my colleagues will never let me hear the end of it!_

"Oh, well, it was worth a try!"

Cheering up once more, Masha surveyed the area and noticed the props person dropping several bloody plastic limbs in a pile on the floor. "No, no, no… scatter them! Don't just dump them all there!" After giving Thomas a quick wave, his student ran off to deal with the issue.

Having nothing to do until filming began, Thomas examined one of the larger set pieces – a tall, rusty metal fence with rolled-up barbed wire on top. From its position in the studio, he guessed that the zombies would build suspense with a slow walk before approaching the fence and trying to get through.

After looking at the fence, he decided to walk around to look at Masha's make-up work. _Being the lead make-up artist for even a single episode of a television show is a big opportunity,_ Thomas thought as he inspected from a relative distance the gory, bloody details of the nine zombies he passed. The faces and bodies looked like medical warzones, oozing with pus, with bones sticking out in some places. _This is very good work. She is definitely making the most of this opportunity._

Before he knew it, the director was calling for quiet, and Thomas quickly stepped behind the camera that was pointed at the fence he had seen earlier. Soon, filming was underway and the zombies were approaching slowly… but something was different about them…

 _…Six, seven eight, nine… and ten? I thought there were only nine zombies?_ He squinted at the tenth zombie, who had long, pink hair and was in the middle of the pack of zombies. Blocked by the tall metal fence, the pink-haired zombie nevertheless reached out with her arms, thrashed her head back and forth, and uttered in a low, guttural voice, _"Brains… brains!"_

 _That zombie's really into the role,_ Thomas observed. _With how she's moving her head, it almost looks like she's foaming at the mouth. If zombies were real, this would be very realistic._

After holding the shot for another thirty seconds, the director yelled, "Cut!"

Before anybody else moved, Masha excitedly rushed to the fence to talk to the zombie that had stood out to Thomas. "Great job, Marie Claire! You looked so scary… I really believed you wanted to eat my brains!"

 _Wait… that's Marie Claire?_

"I don't know…" said the zombie, grinning at Masha. "Are your brains yummy and delicious? If they are, I wouldn't mind a taste…"

Thomas rolled his eyes. _Yup. That's Marie Claire._

* * *

After watching his students' work – for, as he had found out, two of his students had been at that studio, not just one – Thomas had lunch at a nearby restaurant before going to his second impromptu observation assignment of the day, an underwear catalogue photo shoot in which his model student, Modenne, would be participating. He had barely gotten inside the studio when his student spotted him immediately and walked over.

"Hello, Professor Hunt!" said Modenne, smiling. She didn't seem self-conscious at all about being dressed only in her underwear in front of her professor. "Are you here to observe our shoot?"

"Hello, Modenne. Yes, I am," Thomas replied. He kept his eyes firmly on her face. While he knew that he was present in a professional capacity, and while as a former underwear model he knew exactly how casual everybody actually was on-set, he still felt slightly awkward when he saw his students less than fully-clothed, and always comported himself in a way that was respectful and professional.

"Great!" she said. "You're not the only unexpected visitor, actually – Marie Claire came here to talk to me about something, but I didn't have a lot of time to talk, so we agreed to talk later. But I invited her to join our shoot as well! She definitely has the body for it!"

"I… see." Not having looked closely enough at Marie Claire to the extent that he would be able to classify her attractiveness, Thomas didn't have much to say.

"She's really great to work with, but I think there are a couple of hints I can give her for this shoot… Thanks for coming to support us, Professor!"

Before Thomas could object at Modenne overestimating his altruism, she had smiled at him again before going back to her fellow models.

From where he was standing, Thomas could see Marie Claire clad in simple yet classy underwear. She was looking at the other models, who were either chatting or practicing poses in front of mirrors or each other. After looking at them, she would try to copy a pose or two herself, but her facial expression seemed unusual somehow-

 _Oh, not again!_

Thankfully, before Thomas exploded in a fit of pique and attempted to telepathically erase Marie Claire's memory of anything even remotely related to her precious smostril, Modenne approached her and spoke with her for a few moments, acting out a couple of poses of her own but focusing on her facial expression. Marie Claire nodded, and tried to emulate what Modenne had done, but couldn't get it quite right. After Modenne demonstrated everything, Marie Claire tried a second time, and this time, she was successful.

As the models got into their places and had their photos taken in big and small groups in front of different backdrops, Thomas observed the whole process, but of course focused more closely on his two students. It was the second time that Marie had been an unexpected addition to an external project of one of her classmates, but from the way they had not hesitated in including her, they must have trusted that she had the skills to perform on short notice. Even though she had required some additional help in modeling before joining the shoot, Thomas doubted that Modenne would have included Marie Claire if she had any doubts about her being able to improve quickly before the formal shoot.

When they started taking photographs for the catalogue a few minutes later, Thomas noticed that while Marie Claire didn't look nervous, she didn't look completely natural in the way she posed, though he supposed only close observers would really notice, as it was a failing that was apparent in person but would probably not be as much so in a still photograph. Modenne, on the other hand, was effortlessly trying different poses, just as an experienced model would.

 _Of course, I know better than anyone that my students can always improve!_

* * *

 _I would much rather be talking about make-up or modeling than about this._

His next lecture for his freshman class was about beings with less compassion and humanity than the zombies he had seen earlier that day. Some of his students looked eager, as if they were expecting him to praise their chosen career path, but Thomas' prepared – and heartfelt – lecture material would soon wipe the smiles off their faces.

"Let's begin today's lesson. Hollywood, sadly, is filled with parasites. After identifying true talent, they will leech their ten percent cut from the efforts of others. You may know them as executives, managers, and worst of all, agents."

Thomas noticed his agent students cringe. _Well, it's true._

"Agents are sharks – they are cold-blooded and ruthless. Unfortunately, they are an inescapable necessity in Hollywood, for if only creative talent existed, the practicalities of negotiation and content production would fall to the wayside."

 _They're annoying, but they_ are _necessary._

"Because a number of you are creative majors and are unused to an agent's tasks, you will each partner up with an agent classmate. Today, you will go to the film library during your team's assigned time and negotiate a pretend contract. The person sitting on the other side of the desk will be a more experienced agent who will evaluate your performance. After doing horribly, as you no doubt will, you will take what you have learned and secure a client, and a work contract for that client, in the real world. If your team cannot manage this, you will fail. That is all."

He observed his students pairing up for the agent project, wondering how they would fare. They _were_ newbies, but they couldn't do _too_ badly, right?

* * *

"…And after I gave my first figure, he smiled and thanked for me for letting him come, saying that he would take the deal on behalf of his client. His partner was _not_ happy…"

Thomas rolled his eyes. He was in his office, listening to Ethan Blake talk about how the pretend negotiations had gone that afternoon. He had been instructed to take notes and to bring them with him to give to Thomas, but a verbal report was important as well, as it gave him insight into how the opposite side – namely, Ethan – felt about his competition.

"He just thanked you? He didn't try to negotiate at all?" _That's unbelievable._

Ethan shook his head. "I think he misunderstood the assignment –he might have thought getting any deal at all would be good enough."

"And what do you think about that?" Thomas questioned him.

"I think he did his client a great disservice," said Ethan, looking annoyed. "Walking out would have been a much better decision. Now his pretend client has to honor the word of her pretend agent."

Thomas nodded. He was of the same opinion. _A client should always work towards their client's best interests._

"Was that your last negotiation of the afternoon?"

Ethan shook his head. "Almost. That was the one before my last one. The last team was Marie Claire and Agoto."

"And how did they do?"

Wincing, Ethan replied, "Not well. I started with giving the usual details, about the agent – in this case, Agoto – having to secure a supporting role for his client in Nocturnal. For my first question, I asked what Marie Claire's going rate was, and she said…"

He paused, and Thomas didn't know why. "Did she give an unrealistic figure, like a million dollars?" _It would be just like her, too._

"Not exactly," Ethan said. "She… asked for a yacht and a private island in the Caribbean."

 _Of course she would._

Thomas wanted to put his head in his hands because of the frustration he felt about his irritating, unreasonable student, but he told himself that Ethan was in the office and he didn't want to do that where a student could see. Instead, he just looked at Ethan flatly and told him to go on.

And so he was told of how Agoto continued to agree to lower Marie Claire's pretend salary, to the point that not even extras with no speaking lines would have agreed to such a contract, let alone a person who was to play a supporting role.

 _Just from Marie Claire's flippant comment, any agent would have seen that they were an inexperienced team, and would have taken advantage of that. Of course, Agoto Anderson's lack of negotiating skills didn't help either._

After a few more minutes of discussion, Thomas thanked him for his help and Ethan left the office. He gathered Ethan's notes and placed them in his laptop bag before looking out the window, noticing that it was already dark outside. Their discussion had taken longer than he had thought they would, and it was time for him to head home.

* * *

(End of Chapter Eight.) (21/05/16.)

* * *

 **01\. Canon compliance:  
**

The HWU quests that took place in this chapter were Strings Attached (Level 06); Be My Valentine (Level 07); and All In (Day 01 of 03).

* * *

 **02\. A tiny request:**

Thank you for reading my fanfic! :D If you've read this far, I hope you'll consider taking an extra minute to leave a review for Chapter Eight ("Yummy Brains")? :D Reviews really mean a lot to me as a fanfiction writer because I get to hear your thoughts on something I worked really hard on ^_^ Even if it's the year 2075 or something, I would love to hear your thoughts! :D

* * *

 **03\. Two interesting HWU things:  
**

One, the HWU online television series! :D Did you know that a fellow HWU fan, Zoe (her username on Tumblr is "dizzyclueless"), is diligently working on HWU: The Series? It's a fan-made online television series based on Thomas Hunt and other characters from Hollywood U! ^_^ (At the moment, I'm just a very enthusiastic supporter... but I would LOVE to be involved in HWU: The Series someday! :D) You can find out more about this AMAZING television project on Tumblr (their official Tumblr blog is "hwutheseries"). I just LOVE how Pixelberry and Hollywood U have inspired SO many of us fans! ^_^

And two, my second HWU fanfic! :D If you're interested in reading Marie Claire's perspective of this chapter (Chapter Eight), then I encourage you to read "NYTMC 2: Marie Claire's Interlude" ^_^ Here's the summary: _"(Part two of the NYTMC series.) (Midquel.) How did Marie Claire Hart fall in love with her most dashing, yet most cantankerous, professor? A retelling of my MC/Hunt fanfic "NYTMC 1: Not Your Typical Meet-Cute" from Marie Claire's perspective, in 100-word drabbles."_


	9. Day 09 (T): Negotiation (Level 08)

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Hollywood U. This amazing game belongs to Pixelberry! :)**

* * *

 **My responses to your reviews:**

 _(Oops! There were no reviews this time. Maybe next time? :P)_

* * *

 **Chapter Nine: Day 09 (Tuesday) – Negotiation (Level 08)**

* * *

As Thomas was eating breakfast, he remembered that he had forgotten to write in his journal about his date with Marianne. An unusual occurrence because he rarely forgot things, he thought about it as he walked to his room from the kitchen.

 _Was it because our date felt more like old friends catching up that I didn't write about it?_

He didn't think there was anything particularly noteworthy about the date, but he had made a habit of writing about his life almost every day because he believed that writing was an important way to express thoughts and ideas, and that extended to writing about his personal life. He took his journal off the shelf and was about to sit down when he happened to glance out his window and decided that he would take his journal and write outside. He picked up his laptop bag before leaving his bedroom with his journal.

The air was cool that morning, but there was no morning dew on the chair he usually sat in when he spent time in his backyard. Sitting down and starting to turn to the correct empty page, he couldn't help but notice previous journal entries he had written. He stopped at a section about Priya.

 _ **"Priya Singh may soon join the faculty at Hollywood U… I have mixed feelings about this new development. On the one hand, Priya is a tenacious, fiery administrator. She could breathe life into our institution. Plus, I wouldn't mind someone else dealing with all my incorrigible students. On the other hand, we've worked together before and together learned the harsh lesson of mixing career and romance. I'd only get involved with someone under such circumstances if they were truly special… once-in-a-lifetime."**_

 _That was right before Priya became a professor at Hollywood U,_ Thomas thought to himself. _I was concerned that things might be awkward between us after she broke off our relationship, but when she started teaching, she was very professional, and very distant. It was an unexpected relief. But then she changed…_

He continued reading his journal, this time stopping at one of his earlier entries about Marianne.

 _ **"Marianne Delacroix is basically as perfect as they come… elegant. Mature. Able to match me jab for jab. Saw the latest Betolucci film with her. Her insights were definitely refreshing. Haven't met someone like her, someone so undeniably mature, in a long time…"**_

 _I wrote this soon after I met Marianne… quite some time ago…_

Shrugging, he picked up his pen and started to write.

 _ **"Asked Marianne to come in to judge one of my class projects. Ended up having dinner with her last Saturday. She has not changed… she is still mature, droll, and very confident…"**_

* * *

Later that afternoon, Thomas met Ethan in his office for the second time in two days. According to the e-mail that Thomas had read after he finished writing about his date with Marianne, Ethan had personally discussed three deals with some of Thomas' freshmen students earlier that day and he asked Thomas if he wanted to meet with him to talk about how those deals came about.

"…and that was how the second discussion ended in disaster… for them."

Thomas nodded thoughtfully. According to Ethan, the first student pair that came to him had insider information on the future set locations for the movie that caused him to have to backtrack and accept the deal they were offering. He explained that he had been trying to bluff and tell them that he had gotten a certain choreographer for a movie-musical, but it was a well-known fact that the particular choreographer in question had a fear of flying, and was unlikely to brave the skies to arrange only a small dance number, and so the student pair had managed to get him to sign on their choreographer instead, who was young and in need of experience.

However, the second student pair he had met with failed, which was peculiar considering their trial negotiation the day before had gone well. While they had been confident while inside the university library, the immensity of negotiating their first real deal had gotten to them. The agent of the pair had started stuttering soon after he and Ethan had exchanged greetings, while the agent's partner, a fashionista, kept glancing nervously around the room, looking as if she was expecting somebody to come in and kick them out. Ethan told Thomas that while they had failed with him, they told him that they would consider the negotiation a learning experience and strive to make a deal elsewhere before the week was over in order to pass Thomas' agent project.

"Marie Claire and Agoto were the third pair I talked to earlier today, and they were definitely the best!" Ethan said, smiling proudly.

Skeptical, Thomas replied, "Are you sure that you aren't letting your fondness for your client cloud your judgement?"

Ethan shook his head. "Definitely not. In fact, I thought they were going to be easy to deal with, but I was wrong…"

He started to tell Thomas about how he represented Galactic Pictures in casting a side part for their new film, 'Nocturnal.' "They were really shocked to see me there, which wasn't a surprise considering how they bombed our trial negotiation."

"Let me guess," Thomas said, "they thought it was another test?"

"That's right," nodded Ethan. "But I explained to them that it was for real, since I actually was acting on behalf of Galactic Pictures. The funny thing was, they were nervous when they saw me, but after I led them to the conference room and we sat down, they were suddenly really confident. I heard Marie Claire whispering to Agoto as we were walking, but I couldn't hear what she was saying because she was too far away. But whatever it was, it worked…"

"How did you start the negotiation?"

"I offered them twenty-five thousand, saying that it was because their client, Astoria Morgan, is pretty much a newcomer. But Agoto hit me back with a hundred thousand, saying that Astoria has fans because of her history as a Broadway actress. But I told them that we were looking into getting Karen Gillian or Margot Robbie for our movie. I thought they would back down after that."

"And they didn't?" Thomas asked. _They must have practiced negotiation or bluffing somehow, to have gotten better in such a short amount of time._

"They somehow knew that I was bluffing, so instead of going down that path, I started trying to lower their figure. I offered them fifty thousand, then sixty thousand, then eighty thousand… but Agoto just wouldn't budge. He actually stood up and started to leave the room. Even after I told him he would fail your class if he didn't land this deal, he told me, "'I'm not here for me. I'm here for my client." And he left."

"He just left?" Hollywood U was selective in choosing prospective students, and so Thomas was baffled at the idea of a student of his failing on purpose.

"He did, and he didn't look like he would regret his decision, either. That cinched the deal for me, so I went after them and told them that I would agree to one hundred thousand."

"Why did you do that?"

Ethan replied, "Like I said to them, I had to respect somebody who would go all-out for their client. Other agents would have just taken one of the deals I had offered earlier for their commission, but he didn't because he wanted to do his best by his client. He's going to be a good agent someday."

* * *

After finishing his meeting with Ethan, he noticed on his way to his car that a new type of dorm was being constructed, and he stopped to have a look.

 _Movie stars, directors, fashionistas... and now, pop stars,_ Thomas thought, looking at the ongoing construction for the university's first Pop Star Dorm. Unlike the other dorms, which had their distinct gold, blue, and pink color themes, the maid color of the Pop Star Dorm was going to be green, judging by the cans of green paint Thomas could see lined up on the ground.

Thomas didn't know for sure why they suddenly had a pop star major at Hollywood U - instead of consulting him on the introduction of a new major like he ought to have done, Andrew had simply sent him an e-mail notification as he had done with all other Hollywood U staff. All the e-mail said was that a prominent pop star was enrolling and that they needed to build a new type of dorm to accommodate other students who would be taking courses for that major.

He did have a theory, though, and it all had to do with a certain album release party he attended two nights ago.

* * *

(End of Chapter Nine.) (28/05/16.)

* * *

 **01\. Canon compliance:  
**

The HWU quests that took place in this chapter were Wild Night (Level 08) and All In (Day 02 of 03).

* * *

 **02\. A tiny request:**

Thank you for reading my fanfic! :D If you've read this far, I hope you'll consider taking an extra minute to leave a review for Chapter Nine ("Negotiation")? :D Reviews really mean a lot to me as a fanfiction writer because I get to hear your thoughts on something I worked really hard on ^_^ Even if it's the year 2075 or something, I would love to hear your thoughts on this chapter! :D

* * *

 **03\. Two interesting HWU things:  
**

One, the HWU online television series! :D Did you know that a fellow HWU fan, Zoe (her username on Tumblr is "dizzyclueless"), is diligently working on HWU: The Series? It's a fan-made online television series based on Thomas Hunt and other characters from Hollywood U! ^_^ (At the moment, I'm just a very enthusiastic supporter... but I would LOVE to be involved in HWU: The Series someday! :D) You can find out more about this AMAZING television project on Tumblr (their official Tumblr blog is "hwutheseries"). I just LOVE how Pixelberry and Hollywood U have inspired SO many of us fans! ^_^

And two, my second HWU fanfic! :D If you're interested in reading Marie Claire's perspective of this chapter (Chapter Nine), then I encourage you to read "NYTMC 2: Marie Claire's Interlude" ^_^ Here's the summary: _"(Part two of the NYTMC series.) (Midquel.) How did Marie Claire Hart fall in love with her most dashing, yet most cantankerous, professor? A retelling of my MC/Hunt fanfic "NYTMC 1: Not Your Typical Meet-Cute" from Marie Claire's perspective, in 100-word drabbles."_


	10. Day 10 (W): Now That's Improv (Level 08)

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Hollywood U. This amazing game belongs to Pixelberry! :)**

* * *

 **My responses to your reviews:**

17\. (31/05/26) KayGreaser: Thank you very much! :) Hope you stick around for future chapters as well! :D

16\. (28/05/16) Aza White: Looks like you're excited about my foreshadowing! :P There will be more interactions between Thomas and Marie Claire; don't worry! And thank you for noticing my update schedule - I'll do my best to keep it up! :)

15\. (28/05/16) Vanessa: Glad you loved the inclusion of the canon journal entries! :D

* * *

 **Chapter Ten: Day 10 (Wednesday) – Now That's Improv (Level 08)**

* * *

While there were students that had not yet completed the requirements to pass the agent project, Thomas decided to continue with the schedule that was on his printed syllabus anyway. It wasn't his fault that his students were incapable of meeting his standards – and he had much more material to go through in class. Case in point: today was the first day of the "Improv Acting" segment.

He entered the lecture hall a few minutes early, surprised to see the majority of his students already present. Perhaps they were reeling from their respective defeats during either their trial or real negotiations, but either way, he didn't care as long as they were in the classroom when they ought to be.

The doors opened behind him, and he turned to see a few more students come in, including Marie Claire, Agoto, and a movie star major, Mova Myers.

 _Even the original latecomer is early today. Will wonders never cease?_

Tomas was still standing in the aisle, so his students had to pass him if they wanted to sit in the middle of the classroom. As they did so, he stopped Marie Claire and Agoto, wanting to speak to them – in particular, to Agoto – for his inspired handing of yesterday's negotiation with Ethan.

"It seems that you won't be failing out of my class this week, Agoto," he remarked. "I spoke to Ethan about your negotiation, and from his report about you, it seems like not all agents in Hollywood are unprincipled vultures and money-grubbing leeches. Not only that, but surviving my class is a good enough reason to congratulate you as well."

"Thank you, Professor Hunt," he replied, "but it wasn't just me. Marie Claire was great at getting information and being part of our team. She really taught me a lot."

Thomas rolled his eyes. "Oh, really? If Marie Claire has such a knack for teaching, maybe she should take my place and teach my class instead."

In response, she gave him an impish grin. "Don't bluff, Professor… I'll do it."

He snorted. "As if you could."

Giving him a sly look, she said, "Well, since you asked so nicely…"

She walked past him and towards the stage of the lecture auditorium. Thomas watched her go, wondering what she was up to…

* * *

From the podium of the stage, Marie Claire glared at the students – and one professor – in the auditorium. Wondering what she was doing up there, her fellow students had ceased talking when she had taken the stage, and they were now looking at her with furrowed brows and confused eyes.

For her part, she did not find all the attention directed at her person to be even the slightest bit unnerving.

Thomas, after noticing that he was the only person in the audience that was still standing, wondered what he should do.

 _Should I go up there and drag her off the stage? Should I demand to know what she thinks she's doing?_

But in the end, what he did was sit down. While his eyebrow twitched at the thought of somebody else commanding his classroom, he couldn't deny that at least partially, this was his fault.

 _Just out of curiosity, I'll sit down for now…_

"I have received reports of your negotiations these past days," scowled Marie Claire as her gaze swept the room. "While I did not have high expectations for any of you, I will require some of you to report on your own progress, and you _will_ explain, at this precise moment, why for the most part, your performances were substandard."

Thomas could see that some of his students were looking back and forth between him and Marie Claire, no doubt wondering why he was down here and she was up there. He let their looks slide off him like water on a duck's back as he continued to watch Marie Claire, feeling somewhat bewildered himself. _Do I really glare at my students that much?_

Onstage, Marie Claire had pointed to her first victim. "How did your negotiation go?"

The student, a puzzled female model, looked at her and replied, "The fake one or the real one?"

"The real one!"

"Um… well, we did try to negotiate a contact, but the studio producer we talked to said that they were only looking for a few more people, and he said there wasn't enough money in the budget for high salaries, so-"

Sneering, Marie Claire replied, "And you believed him?!" Crossing her arms, she paced the stage as she glared at the model she had singled out. "Studio producers, agents, and managers are the Hollywood equivalent of lint or pond scum – unavoidable and undesirable. They will lie, and lie, and lie some more to get what they want. They will talk fast, use jargon, and obfuscate a contract's true intentions to get everything their greedy selves think they are entitled to!"

In the audience, Thomas blinked. _If she's doing an impression of me, she's actually… spot-on…_

"But," said the model despondently, "he looked really honest and apologetic when he said-"

"Of _course_ he looked honest an apologetic! Do you really think he would have politely asked for permission to cheat you before doing so?"

"Well, of course not," protested the model, "that would have been stupid-"

 _And yet she fell for it?_

Marie Claire interrupted, "Yes, that _would_ have been stupid… which only speaks to your _own_ lack of intellect for being taken so completely!"

"But-"

"Next!" The faux professor onstage pointed next at a female agent who was sitting next to her male reality television partner. "And what about your negotiation? Restore my faith in this university's students – or at least the little I had before meeting you all – by telling me that you didn't fall for any obvious deceptions like your very _intelligent_ peers!"

The female agent swallowed before answering. "We signed a contract without any problems, and the producer we talked to agreed to a very generous fee for my client, who is planning on launching a singing career…"

"Good…" complimented Marie Claire, her features softening slightly…

"…and in return, she only asked for twenty percent of my client's soft sales in perpetuity," she finished, smiling.

 _Did she just say in perpetuity?! All soft sales?!_

Marie Claire's jaw dropped. "In perpetuity?!"

Her 'student' nodded. "Yes, but it was only for soft sales, so we didn't see in problems because we know most of the money will be made in the sales of hard-copy CDs and concert DVDs, not iTunes downloads…"

Thomas watched as Marie Claire – justifiably – exploded at the poor agent. "And this idiocy is why I _know_ I am needed at this university! Soft sales aren't just downloads on iTunes! The term legally refers to, among other things, concert revenue, product endorsements, television and movie appearances, and intellectual property! Hard-copy merchandise will be a tiny fraction of your client's earnings throughout their entire life – and you signed away one fifth of most of her potential earnings _in perpetuity!"_

The agent leapt to her feet, her face deathly pale. She looked like she was about to burst into tears. "I…" She turned to Thomas, who looked back at her blankly. "Professor Hunt, is this true?!"

He grimaced. "Unfortunately, I cannot deny that Marie Claire has an accurate grasp of the concept of soft sales, and of your negotiation's subsequent consequences."

As his horrified student sank back into her seat, Thomas raised his eyebrow at the 'professor' on the podium on the stage and stood. "And let us thank Marie Claire for her wholly _unrequested_ impromptu performance, and applaud her as she returns to her seat to let a real professor begin his class…"

He started to give low, sarcastic claps, and his students followed, sprinkling Marie Claire with a little applause as she, in-character to the very end, gave them a final glare as if condemning them all for their stated or silent incompetence before stalking to an empty aisle seat next to Mova.

After Marie Claire had sat down, Thomas walked down the aisle and onto the stage himself, but instead of standing behind the podium as Marie Claire had done, he elected to sit casually on the edge of the stage. He looked at his students, who, for some reason, seemed oddly relieved that it was once again he who was teaching them. Perhaps, they had felt, like Thomas has, that Marie Claire's impersonation of his teaching – which was uncanny in its accuracy, but he didn't want her to know that – made it seem like they had been trapped, however briefly, in the Twilight Zone.

As he met Marie Claire's gaze, she had the nerve to playfully stick her tongue out at him for a moment, her eyes bright with silent laughter.

* * *

"Cooperation," Thomas told his students, "is a vital for success in Hollywood. Unless one already commands enough respect that playing nice with lesser mortals is no longer necessary – and yes, I _am_ a very good example of that – you will fail if you lack the ability to compromise with and agree on things with others."

He continued, "As it says on the syllabus, we will be tackling improv and the skills required to be good at it. You must feed on each other's energy and enthusiasm as you move through an improv sketch – mutual trust is essential, as is a modicum of intelligence from both participating parties."

Getting off the stage, he paced up and down the aisle. "While you are all inexperienced newbies, I believe that even you can handle a simple improv exercise. Consider it a warm-up. You will only be allowed to use famous movie quotes in your sketch. I repeat: only famous movie quotes. Is that understood?

His students nodded.

"Very well…" He looked back and forth from one side of the room to the other, looking for candidates for the first exercise.

 _Hmm… why not…_

His eyes stopped on the student that had, just a few minutes ago, been glaring her peers into submission. "Ah. Marie Claire."

She blinked. "Yes, Professor?"

"You and Mova will go first. We'll see if starting small with you will lower my expectations enough to the point that all of your other classmates will look better in comparison."

Marie Claire sputtered indignantly. "What are you saying… that starting with me is starting small?!"

He tilted his head. "If you are this slow on the uptake, you're proving my point. But maybe you'll prove me wrong. Go ahead, Marie Claire," he smirked sarcastically, "set a shining example for your classmates."

Thomas knew that mocking would spur her to try her best, and he was proven right when Marie Claire and Mova proceeded to have a humorous conversation with quotes from The Dark Knight, Star Wars V: The Empire Strikes Back, Jerry Maguire, and Frozen.

The class applauded at their creativity, and while Mova soaked up their admiration, Marie Claire grinned at Thomas. _"Are you not entertained?!"_

"An extra line from Gladiator. Wonderful," said Thomas wryly. "You must be _so_ proud that you aren't irredeemably terrible. Now, who wants to go next?"

* * *

After all of his students had tried the first exercise, Thomas addressed them. "For now, you haven't completely embarrassed yourselves… but the day is young. Now for the fun part… each team will be filming their performance of a short scene. If you refrain from bursting into tears and running away before you've finished, consider yourself lucky."

To his irritation, one of his students – Mova, to be exact – actually stood up and ask for _scripts._ In a class about _improv._ He was quick to cut her down.

"If you want me to hold your hand like a baby during this exercise, Mova, why stop there? Why don't I also bring you a bottle and change your diaper if you won't put in any effort at all?" he said sarcastically.

Beside Mova, Marie Claire's eyes widened. "…This conversation got weird…"

"Mova," Thomas explained in annoyance, "this is improv. Improv is one hundred percent ad-libbed. I will provide you with the characters, but you must come up with your own lines. It is _very_ simple."

"Uh, sure… simple…"

After she and Marie Claire had enlisted Diderot's help in filming them, he heard Mova ask him for advice, but he said that everything was up to them. Wanting to begin the exercise, Thomas barked, "This is not time for socializing. If you have enough time to chat, you have enough time to perform. Now… Marie Claire, you are an alarmed patient in a hospital, and Mova is your doctor, but she is only capable of practicing medicinal techniques from the eighteenth century. Begin!"

He watched Marie Claire run to the stage, brushing herself off all over. "Doctor, I'm covered in leeches! What should I do! You have to help me!"

Mova paused for a moment, before replying cheerfully, "I know the cure to your affliction… more leeches!"

Her reply made the class laugh, and she seemed relieved that the exercise was finished – but she was wrong.

"Cut!" said Thomas, gesturing to Diderot. "Again, from the top!"

Confused, Marie Claire asked, "Again? Why? Did we do something wrong?"

"We totally nailed that scene!" said Mova. "We were awesome!"

 _Well, they're certainly confident…_ Thomas crossed his arms. "Don't flatter yourselves. You did _okay._ But in improv, you have to come up with something new each time you perform. Action!"

On the stage, Marie Claire hurriedly approached Mova again, this time panicking about dysentery, but Mova's brilliant solution was to tell her that she needed… more leeches. Thomas sighed and told them to start over, but despite Marie Claire's prompting, her partner was completely frozen onstage.

 _Why did she choose the same response as before? Does she not understand what improv is?_

Impatiently, Thomas said, "I think we've had enough of this. Next!"

"Just a minute, Professor Hunt!" protested Marie Claire. She looked worriedly at Mova, who seemed to be near tears. "I'm sure that if we try again, Mova-"

"Mova is wasting both _my_ valuable time as well as everybody else's considerably _less_ valuable time." Thomas turned to Mova, who could barely bring herself to meet his gaze. "If you don't get it together by tomorrow, Mova, you will be out of this class and your spot will be given to a more deserving individual. Now get off the stage so that more capable students than yourself can practice the art of improv."

As they left the stage and walked back to their seats, Thomas turned to his class. "Is anybody brave enough to go next?"

* * *

After his class about improv – to his relief, none of his other students had erred as badly as Mova had – Thomas decided to reward himself for his patience by going to the Batista Theatre to watch one of the movies listed on their all-day classic movie marathon. While he could have easily watched Jaws at home, there was something magical, to him, about watching a movie in an actual movie theatre, with other people, so he purchased his ticket and stepped inside, settling down in a seat with empty spaces on either side of him.

 _After all, just because I want to be around people doesn't mean that I want to be too close to them._

Five minutes later, as Thomas watched Jaws unfold on the screen, he heard a familiar voice behind him and to his left. "Hey, Mova. Want some company?"

He growled silently. _What is Marie Claire doing here? Or Mova, for that matter? Did we all have the same idea to watch classic movies? What are the chances?_

Mova replied, "Sure… I guess… Well, if you want. I just wanted to watch the greats today. I wish I could be like them too…"

She continued speaking, ignoring the fact that doing so was extremely rude to the other movie patrons, Thomas being one of them.

"I've been thinking, and… I guess it's not really important for me to be good an improv. Coming up with lines is for writers, and I'm an actor. Improv is good for light laughs, but it's nothing compared to meticulously-written, immortal lines! Like the line, "You're gonna need a bigger boat." The timing and delivery of that line were both perfect, and you can't get that kind of performance in improv!"

Thomas snorted quietly. _Shows what she knows._

"Uh…" Marie Claire said hesitantly, "I hate to break this to you, Mova, but that line was ad-libbed."

"What?! Really?!"

"Yup…" She proceeded to give Mova examples of other famous movies with ad-libbed lines. "There's nothing wrong with memorizing lines… but a lot of immortal moments in film came about because of improv!"

 _It's good to hear that Marie Claire knows those movies… but can't they take their conversation somewhere else? The rest of us are trying to watch a movie!_

"Oh…" Mova sighed. "Does this mean that I'll never be a great actor? Because I'm horrible at improv?"

"Of course not! Everybody can learn new things if they try! And you don't want to let all the Movasters down, right?

 _…Movasters? What are those?_

Marie Claire continued, "You can't let down the fans who have supported you from the very beginning… and what about the ones who haven't heard of you yet? You can't give up now… they're all rooting for you!"

 _Oh, Movasters. Mova's fans. Right… Now go talk somewhere else!_

Her voice rising in her excitement, Mova exclaimed, "You're right! If I give up now, I'll be disappointing all present and future Movasters! I have to keep trying!"

Unable to help himself, Thomas shushed them. Loudly.

"Oops!" Sheepishly, Mova lowered her voice again. "Thanks for coming after me, Marie Claire! I'm really motivated now, but… how exactly can I practice improv so that I can be better at it?

"Don't worry about that," said Marie Claire, sounding happy now that she had encouraged Mova. "I know exactly where we should go… come on!"

Thomas heard shuffling behind him as Marie Claire and Mova got up and left the movie theatre.

 _Finally. I came here for Jaws, not for my students' annoying conversation!_

* * *

 ** _"Today, I learned never to dare Marie Claire to do something. If her impromptu performance today was any indication, she will do what she is challenged to do, and she will exceed expectations in doing so. Who knew that an offhand comment about her not being able to teach would end up with her almost making one of her classmates burst into tears?"_**

As he closed his journal, Thomas gave a small chuckle.

 _Her solo improv performance_ was _entertaining._

* * *

(End of Chapter Ten.) (04/06/16.)

* * *

 **01\. Canon compliance:  
**

The HWU quests that took place in this chapter were Wild Night (Level 08); All In (Day 03 of 03); and Going Off-Script (Day 01 of 02).

* * *

 **02\. A tiny request:**

Thank you for reading my fanfic! :D If you've read this far, I hope you'll consider taking an extra minute to leave a review for Chapter Ten ("Now That's Improv")? :D Reviews really mean a lot to me as a fanfiction writer because I get to hear your thoughts on something I worked really hard on ^_^ Even if it's the year 2075 or something, I would love to hear your thoughts on this chapter! :D

* * *

 **03\. Two interesting HWU things:  
**

One, the HWU online television series! :D Did you know that a fellow HWU fan, Zoe (her username on Tumblr is "dizzyclueless"), is diligently working on HWU: The Series? It's a fan-made online television series based on Thomas Hunt and other characters from Hollywood U! ^_^ (At the moment, I'm just a very enthusiastic supporter... but I would LOVE to be involved in HWU: The Series someday! :D) You can find out more about this AMAZING television project on Tumblr (their official Tumblr blog is "hwutheseries"). I just LOVE how Pixelberry and Hollywood U have inspired SO many of us fans! ^_^

And two, my second HWU fanfic! :D If you're interested in reading Marie Claire's perspective of this chapter (Chapter Ten), then I encourage you to read "NYTMC 2: Marie Claire's Interlude" ^_^ Here's the summary: _"(Part two of the NYTMC series.) (Midquel.) How did Marie Claire Hart fall in love with her most dashing, yet most cantankerous, professor? A retelling of my MC/Hunt fanfic "NYTMC 1: Not Your Typical Meet-Cute" from Marie Claire's perspective, in 100-word drabbles."_


	11. Day 11 (T): Worst Bank Robber (Level 08)

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Hollywood U. This amazing game belongs to Pixelberry! :)**

* * *

 **My responses to your reviews:**

25\. (09/06/16) Guest: It was kind of rushed in the game (which was understandable considering Lisa's circumstances), so I made it rushed from Thomas' perspective as well. You are very welcome! :)

24\. (09/06/16) Guest: The smostril shall never die! :P

23\. (09/06/16) Guest: He's a very accomplished man, isn't he? XD

22\. (09/06/16) Guest: Yay! It's my job to make readers like you smile :) I really liked writing this chapter :)

21\. (06/06/16) Fioreariadne1: I'm glad you liked that scene - it was so much fun writing Marie Claire that way, all scowling and Thomas-y, haha! :D I love writing about this game and for this fandom, so it means a lot that you look forward to my updates! :) And don't worry… the break may be for a few weeks, but then the story will continue after the break! :)

20\. (05/06/16) Kuladekiwi: Thank you so much! :D And I really like how her character is developing :)

19\. (05/06/16) Rina-The-Fangirl: Thank you very much! :) Don't worry; the break won't be that long! :P

18\. (05/06/16) Vanessa: Thanks! :) I also really liked how she managed the class :D I'm glad you like reading my story! :)

* * *

 **Chapter Eleven: Day 11 (Thursday) – Worst Bank Robber (Level 08)**

* * *

Thomas was once again seated at the table in his back yard, typing away on his laptop. One of his former students – one of the rare non-idiots – had sent him some sample pages of a screenplay. The student was now a professional director, and while he was very capable as a student and even more so after he had graduated, one of his flaws was that he was able to see possibilities for every scenario – every camera angle; every facial expression – and how those possibilities could influence a film… but he had trouble deciding between different choices because he could see the potential in all of them.

Exasperatedly, but also with some amusement, Thomas gave a few suggestions for the scenes he had been sent, but he was also including a short note – which was fast evolving into a very long note – telling him that these choices were part of being a director, and that while there were infinite possibilities within each film, identifying those with the most possible dramatic impact was an important skill that he needed to learn if he were to succeed in the industry.

Oddly enough, after he was done, an e-mail that was supposed to be just a few lines of suggestions and encouragement became a very detailed message of scene analysis and director obligations. Thankfully, his next e-mail, a mass e-mail telling his freshmen students to send him links to their social accounts before the end of the day in preparation for a new unit that was to begin the next day, was much shorter. After sending that, Thomas looked at his computer clock.

 _I'll just have breakfast inside… it'll be easier to clean up after I'm done._

He got up, leaving his laptop on the table as he went inside to have breakfast.

* * *

After having breakfast, he made his way back to his laptop and was about to sit down when he noticed something unusual.

 _What is that doing on my laptop?_

Steeling himself, he brushed off the wayward worm that must have somehow climbed the table and settled on his laptop, seeing it land on the grass and curl up in fear – but after a few moments, it unculred itself and slowly inched itself away from him.

Turning back to his laptop, he checked his e-mail and found a welcome reply to an inquiry he had sent a friend of his.

After reading the few lines of greeting his friend had written, he downloaded the PDF file that was attached to the e-mail and opened it, confident that he would be able to understand his friend's instructions.

 _…What?_

The document was full of diagrams, technical language, and poorly-numbered lists. There were lists of the individual parts that Thomas would have available to him once they were delivered in the afternoon; diagrams about which parts had to go where in order for the whole thing to work; and details of what could go wrong and what ought to be done if those things did happen. While Thomas was grateful that his friend had said yes to his request, he was now wondering whether it would have been better if he had said no.

As he read the ninth page of the PDF file, which showed which eight tubes had to be twisted into each other and in what order, his phone rang. After picking it up, Thomas checked who was calling. It was Andrew.

Remembering that the last time he had answered one of Andrews's calls, he had been roped into attending a loud and stifling album release party, Thomas was wary of taking his call. But knowing he had no choice, he tapped the green icon to receive the call and held the phone to his ear.

"Andrew? Good morning. There isn't a meeting today, is there?"

After he heard what Andrew had to say, he closed his eyes in annoyance. News of a meeting would have been much better than _this_ sort of news.

* * *

He thought about what Andrew had told him on the phone as he drove to the university.

 _A loud, destructive party; getting kicked out of a bar; and significant damage to an expensive hotel room? How is Lisa Valentine not facing expulsion?_

But Thomas, despite himself, knew why. While Hollywood U was accustomed to making stars, it was uncommon – not unheard of or even rare, but uncommon nonetheless – for established stars to enroll as freshmen students. While Marie Claire was, in some ways, acceptable collateral damage were she to fail in completing her requirements and get kicked out over something that started as a spilled drink, harshly punishing Lisa Valentine for living up to the wild lifestyle of her industry would give everybody the impression that Hollywood U was unaccommodating of rising stars and unaware of what stardom entailed. Unless she established her irresponsible behavior over a long period of time, or unless she did something with more far-reaching consequences, Lisa Valentine would be staying at Hollywood U for the foreseeable future.

* * *

On the second day of the Improv Acting unit, after telling Diderot to set up a camera to film his students' performances, Thomas asked for two volunteers to come up onstage to start the class off. He was mildly surprised when Marie Claire and Mova eagerly volunteered.

"I'm surprised you're this enthusiastic to be back here, Mova," remarked Thomas as they stood in the middle of the stage, "especially after your uninspired performance yesterday."

Mova replied calmly, "Well, this _is_ improv, Professor. Even though I failed yesterday, that's all the more reason to try again today."

"I think Mova will surprise you, Professor Hunt!" Marie Claire piped up. "We practiced improv yesterday!"

Skeptically, Thomas replied, "The last time I was surprised was on the opening night of Sixth Sense, Marie Claire, so I doubt I'll be surprised today. But if you've practiced…"

He stopped for a moment to think. _How should I go about this…?_

"I'll give you a new scene to do this time, so that I know for sure that your so-called practicing wasn't actually just memorizing lines. Mova, you'll be the world's friendliest cop, and Marie Claire, you'll be the world's worst bank robber. Got that?"

"Wait a minute… yesterday, you said that starting with me was starting small, and now I'm the world's _worst_ bank robber? Why not the world's best one?" complained Marie Claire.

 _Hmm. I didn't actually do that on purpose, but it_ is _funny how my mind connected those two together._

"If low expectations are what come to my mind when I think of you, Marie Claire, you have only yourself to blame," he replied smoothly.

 _Of course, you're welcome to prove me wrong, if you're capable of doing so…_

"Now, what are you both waiting for? Amuse me!"

In-character, a panicked Marie Claire made her entrance, pretending to carry two large bags across the stage.

She bent her back as she struggled with her imaginary cargo, complaining out loud, "How heavy could coins be, I told myself! Why did I fill these bags with coins? I must be the worst robber in the world!"

Mova pretended to turn around a corner and saw Marie Claire. "Stop! I'm a police officer… and it's my job to help citizens!" She made a show of taking one of the invisible bags from Marie Claire. "Let me help you with that… I don't want you to hurt yourself!"

"Cut!" said Thomas, and they shook off their characters, straightening up to listen to his feedback.

"It seems that you've remembered that tongues are used to speak, Mova," he said. "But can lightning strike twice?" Not waiting to hear her reply, he said, "From the top!"

Marie Claire got back into character, using her hands to form the shape of a gun, which she pointed at Miranda. "This is a hold-up! I want a million dollars in small bills, and- ahh!" She grasped her eyes with both hands. "Where is everybody? I can't see! I knew I should have cut holes into my mask!"

"Over here!" said her partner, who, as an extremely helpful police officer, was trying to help the pretend criminal. "Yes, forward… and then a little to your left…"

Seeing that Marie Claire was still wandering blind, Mova stepped forward and helped Marie Claire remove her imaginary mask.

"Whew!" said Marie Claire in relief. She smiled. "Thanks, officer!"

"No problem!" replied Mova. "I'm a police officer, and we're all here to protect and serve!"

 _Much better than before._ After a few more takes, Thomas signaled them to stop. "Okay, okay, I suppose these takes are good enough. Next!"

Two more students, this time from the back of the room, walked towards the stage. As they were walking, Marie Claire sidled up next to him with a tiny, hopeful look in her eyes.

"So, Professor Hunt," she said, "are you surprised?"

"Surprised?" he said dryly. "Try relieved." Marie Claire started to smile, and he continued, "I'm relieved that a student such as Mova isn't failing miserably at living up to her potential."

Marie Claire pouted.

 _Well, that's what you get for fishing for compliments,_ Thomas smirked to himself.

* * *

Much later, thinking that the improv unit merited a journal entry, Thomas started to write.

 _ **"My previous assessment was correct. Marie Claire is extraordinarily skilled in acting, and I have found that this extends to improv acting.**_

 _ **"Yesterday, she pulled off a remarkable and completely spontaneous solo improv performance, though I will not dwell on the precise subject of said performance. And today, I noticed that she was the first to speak in the scenes with her partner, either consciously or unconsciously guiding her partner, which speaks to her thoughtful acting instincts."**_

* * *

(End of Chapter Eleven.) (11/06/16.)

* * *

 **01\. Canon compliance:**

The HWU quests that took place in this chapter were Wild Night (Level 08) and Going Off-Script (Day 02 of 02).

* * *

 **02\. A tiny request:**

Thank you for reading my fanfic! :D If you've read this far, I hope you'll consider taking an extra minute to leave a review for Chapter Eleven ("Worst Bank Robber")? :D Reviews really mean a lot to me as a fanfiction writer because I get to hear your thoughts on something I worked really hard on ^_^ Even if it's the year 2075 or something, I would love to hear your thoughts on this chapter! :D

* * *

 **03\. Two interesting HWU things:  
**

One, the HWU online television series! :D Did you know that a fellow HWU fan, Zoe (her username on Tumblr is "dizzyclueless"), is diligently working on HWU: The Series? It's a fan-made online television series based on Thomas Hunt and other characters from Hollywood U! ^_^ (At the moment, I'm just a very enthusiastic supporter... but I would LOVE to be involved in HWU: The Series someday! :D) You can find out more about this AMAZING television project on Tumblr (their official Tumblr blog is "hwutheseries"). I just LOVE how Pixelberry and Hollywood U have inspired SO many of us fans! ^_^

And two, my second HWU fanfic! :D If you're interested in reading Marie Claire's perspective of this chapter (Chapter Eleven), then I encourage you to read "NYTMC 2: Marie Claire's Interlude" ^_^ Here's the summary: _"(Part two of the NYTMC series.) (Midquel.) How did Marie Claire Hart fall in love with her most dashing, yet most cantankerous, professor? A retelling of my MC/Hunt fanfic "NYTMC 1: Not Your Typical Meet-Cute" from Marie Claire's perspective, in 100-word drabbles."_


	12. Day 12 (F): Spark Sphere (Levels 08-09)

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Hollywood U. This amazing game belongs to Pixelberry! :)**

* * *

 **My responses to your reviews:**

45\. (15/06/16) Guest: You'll have to read the latest chapter to see if your guess is correct! :P Sadly, I have no plans of including any A-Lister recruitment quests in this fanfic at this time. However, it's a different story for the premium quests! :P Technically, there's already been one premium quest in this fanfic (Las Vegas Love was hinted at very briefly at the end of Chapter Five), and there will be a second premium quest before the end of the first character arc of "Not Your Typical Meet-Cute," so keep an eye out for it! :D I'm very glad that the way I include Thomas in the other quests seems natural; thank you! :)

44\. (15/06/16) Guest: Very true! :D

43\. (13/06/16) J: I update every week, so you won't have to wait that long! :) And I hope more people post their HWU fanfics on this website! :)

42\. (12/06/16) J: "Super canon" is a big compliment for me – thank you! :)

41\. (12/06/16) Guest: Thanks! :) Well, Lisa is an established star, so it makes sense from the university's point-of-view :P And if you check my author's notes at the end of the chapter, you can see when the next chapter will be released :)

40\. (12/06/16) Guest: Thomas would probably win if they did, but Marie Claire would give him a run for his money! :D

39\. (12/06/16) Guest: I think it's possible, but smiling with your mouth might be easier XD

38\. (12/06/16) Guest: I don't know how turquoise cheese would taste like, but if you ever find out, be sure to let me know! :P I _did_ pick those choices in the game – and those silly choices gave me some great writing material! :P

37\. (12/06/16) Guest: That he does :)

36\. (11/06/16) Guest: Epic? I like the sound of that! :P And if you check my author's notes at the end of the chapter, you can see when the next chapter will be released :)

35\. (11/06/16) Guest: Thank you very, very much! :) You and the rest of my readers are definitely very welcome! :)

34\. (11/06/16) Guest: That's Lisa for you – wild to the core! :P

33\. (11/06/16) Guest: I _did_ pick that option in the game, and I'm glad I did, because it was really funny! :D I'm glad you like my fanfic! :)

32\. (11/06/16) Guest: I shall not confirm whether or not Marie Claire and Chris are an official couple (haha :P), but I _can_ confirm that she went on the first Las Vegas date with him in Chapter Five – Thomas actually heard Chris' private jet right before he mat Marianne for their date. I also shall not confirm whether or not that event will be making an appearance at any point in this fanfic :P I think that On The Hunt date appears in Amour when the campus reaches Level Seven. And I'm glad you seemed to notice why I gave Marie Claire her name :D

31\. (11/06/16) Guest: I'm glad you pointed that out! You're actually the second person to mention Mischief's magpie-ness, which I had no clue of while writing that chapter because I don't know muich about birds. Her magpie-ness will be discussed in a future chapter :D

30\. (11/06/16) Guest: It _should_ be a thing! :D

29\. (11/06/16) Guest: They did break up way back, and they're not a couple in my fanfic. Their kiss and date was more of, "Hey, we're both single and attractive, so why don't we flirt over dinner?" It was a fun date, not a serious one :P

28\. (11/06/16) Guest: I agree! :P

27\. (11/06/16) Guest: Aww, you're so nice; thank you! :) By the way, when you said, "That is SO what Hunt would say," what in particular were you referring to?

26\. (11/06/16) Guest: Thank you so much! It makes me happy that you like my story so much! :)

* * *

 **Chapter Twelve: Day 12 (Friday) – Spark Sphere (Levels 08-09)**

* * *

Thomas finished carrying the third box from his office to the auditorium, glad that he had asked his friends to deliver the equipment to the university. After setting the third box onstage, he proceeded to open all of them.

Naively, when he had made the request, Thomas had thought that producing the "spark sphere" special effect he wanted for the introduction of the diva class project to his freshman class would be easy. Having worked on movie sets before, he knew that producing that effect was a matter of aiming the tubes at the right places and flipping a switch. Simple.

However, he had, stupidly, failed to account for the fact that he was not at a movie set. While Hollywood U had the most advance filmmaking technology out of all the universities in the world, that equipment was not in the lecture auditorium – and even if it had been, it was not quite of the same caliber as equipment that was used in high-profile, high-budget action films. That meant that many of the specialized tubes and sensors his friends had access to when filming scenes were already in place in their movie set as semi-permanent equipment, and that was why Thomas now had – checking his watch, he saw that it was exactly one o'clock in the morning – seven and a half hours to produce a special effect that would only last for ten seconds at the very most.

 _I think I have an idea, but I need to go there to be sure..._

Leaving the two boxes of tubes beside the podium, he carried the third box and set off for the Hollywood U design lab.

* * *

In the design lab, Thomas opened the box and turned it upside-down, dropping numerous packets of clear wire, as well as a few other things, including a type of specialized glue gun and sticks of glue, on the table.

The special effect he wanted was a sphere of sparks that would flare briefly around him before disappearing. To do that, Thomas had to use electricity to produce sparks, which would then travel down the wires he had in front of him. They were not the normal rubber-encased metal cables that most people associated with wires – these were made of transparent conductive film that had been shaped into tiny cylindrical structures that looked exactly like wires with the thickness of normal earphone wires. Transparent conductive film was normally used for things like tablet touchscreens and solar power equipment, specifically because of their ability to effectively transfer low-voltage electricity.

He took out one of the wires and held it between his fingertips. Held against his wrist, the wire trailed down until the tip of his elbow. The plan was to connect several of the wires together in two separate pieces. The first would be in a gigantic rectangle with straight lines going through the middle and supported horizontally by non-conductive string, which would be placed in front of the stage. The second would be a large sphere with a small opening in the back just big enough for Thomas to scamper into.

Remembering that he had not yet taken the necessary measurements, Thomas slapped himself on the forehead with his palm before taking a pad of paper and a pen and heading back to the lecture auditorium.

* * *

After turning on the stage lights, he decided that the best way to measure the length of the stage was to count how many paces it took him to make his way across, and convert that figure into feet and inches. The height of the rectangle, as well as the height and diameter of the sphere, he decided, would simply be three times his own.

He went to work, walking across the stage and counting his footsteps as he did so.

 _One… two… three… four…_

* * *

Back in the design lab, he was dumbfounded at his final calculation of how many feet of transparent conductive wire he would have to connect together.

 _I can't do all of this in time! Just doing this would take hours, never mind the positioning of it all!_

But before he could get started, he remembered one of the main reasons why he had relocated to the design lab – he had planned to take big pieces of cardboard, put them together to make a sphere, and use that sphere as the mold for his eventual wire sphere. Because of its anticipated size, he couldn't put the sphere together in the lab – he would have to take the large pieces of cardboard to the stage, assemble the sphere there, and use the result to determine how to shape the wires intended for the sphere.

After wasting an inordinate amount of time choosing the right pieces of curved cardboard from a small side room of the university design lab, he put the cardboard, some ordinary glue guns, sticks of glue, a cutter, some cloth twine, and some transparent fishing string in a cloth sack. Hefting the sack over his shoulder, Thomas wearily trudged back to the lecture hall.

 _This had better be worth it…_

* * *

As he held up different pieces of cardboard to determine which should go where, Thomas contemplated that it was a good thing that the Hollywood U fashion design lab had many pieces of soft and hard cardboard stored in the side room. They were actually for molding fabric for unique, avant-garde fashion pieces, but they served his current purpose just as well, since he needed curved cardbloard of many different sizes to create his stupid, time-consuming sphere.

He took the first two pieces and cut small holes into them before tying them together with string. Proceeding to connect several pieces this way, he constructed a bowl-like piece that would be the top of the sphere, angling the individual pieces _just so_ before using the glue gun to stick them together.

After that was finished, he set it aside and worked on a different piece, this time one that would eventually look like a large, circular fence. That would be the second part of the dome, right under the cardboard bowl he had already made, and it would ever so slightly slope outwards, as the bottom of the fence would be the middle part of the sphere. And after that would be the third part, which would look very much like the second part except that it would slope inwards, and finally, the fourth part, which would be a bowl-like cardboard structure like the first part, completing the sphere. He would then connect all four parts together, first with string, and then with glue.

* * *

Leaving the glue on the fourth part to dry, Thomas returned to the design lab. The cardboard pieces had taken a lot of time, but he knew that was nothing compared to the amount of time it would take to individually connect the many, many pieces of wire in front of him together.

Bracing himself for what would be a long, arduous task, he set up the specialized glue gun – which used glue that was much more apt to conduct electricity than regular glue – and set it beside the flat piece of wood he had placed on the desk so that he wouldn't damage it while handling hot glue. He set to work.

After the first piece of transparent conductive wire and the second piece of transparent conductive wire were connected, he placed a drop of hot glue at the end of the second piece of transparent conductive wire, connected it to the end of a third piece of transparent conductive wire, and blew on the glue to dry so that both were stuck together.

And after the second piece of transparent conductive wire and the third piece of transparent conductive wire were connected, he placed a drop of hot glue at the end of the third piece of transparent conductive wire, connected it to the end of a fourth piece of transparent conductive wire, and blew on the glue to dry so that both were stuck together.

Needless to say, he repeated this pattern many times.

Many, many times.

* * *

Much, _much_ later, when he _finally_ finished the large rectangular and spherical wire constructions he had envisioned earlier, Thomas could have wept from sheer relief.

That was, had he not been too exhausted to do so.

Compared to the harrowing experience of connecting hundreds of small pieces of transparent conductive wire together, the rest of the work – draping some of the finished connected wires over the cardboard sphere so that he could make the necessary adjustments using the existing sphere as a mold; using a stage ladder to string up the rectangular net on both sides of the stage; connecting the two sets of tubes required to transmit the sparks and placing them on either side of the stage so that they were both touching the rectangular wire net; ensuring that the portable generators he borrowed from backstage had enough power to produce enough electricity in the first place before linking them to the tubes; and connecting the generators to the professional sound systems in the auditorium that he could activate by remote control – was not that difficult to carry out.

And after some finishing touches – right below the ceiling of the stage, there was metal scaffolding that was normally used to hold the spotlights, but today he used it to hold up several long pieces of connected conductive wire that would support the sphere and hold it upright, which he then connected to the large rectangular net – he was ready to test everything.

Fortunately for his sanity, it all went off without a hitch. After cleaning up the stage and the design lab, he checked his watch. It was eight-thirty in them morning. After working nonstop since one o'clock in the morning, he had still managed to prepare everything in time, with thirty minutes to spare before his class at nine o'clock.

That was just enough time to drop by his office for a change of clothes, take a quick shower in the bathroom of the professor's lounge, and hide backstage before his students started to arrive.

* * *

From his hiding place backstage, Thomas listened to his students chat idly as they waited for him to appear. Some of them sounded concerned, as he was usually in class much earlier. Others were relaxed, confident that he would be showing up soon.

 _It's time._

He flipped two switches on the wall, causing the lights in the entire auditorium to flicker out. As he listened to them gasp, he pressed the correct button on the remote control he held in his right hand, and he heard their exclamations of surprise as they saw what he knew would be in front of them – bright sparks of electricity, fierce like fire, tantalizing and free.

While they were distracted, he scurried out of his hiding place and quickly ran to the spherical net he had created, getting inside through a small opening in the back and crouching so that he could protect himself from the electricity that would soon surround him.

The blue sparks grew brighter and brighter, moving back and forth in horizontal lines almost threateningly, before moving to the ceiling wires and making their way to the spherical net.

As Thomas was in a crouch with his head held down, he couldn't see the top of the sphere – but he didn't have to see it to _feel_ his spherical net become covered in electric blue sparks, and he almost felt one with the crackling energy around him – and somewhere inside his heart, he made the painful admission that no matter how much he loved teaching his students, he missed the terrible joy of creating films; of creating cinematic magic _just like this_ – but he could only devote one split second to that aching regret, because all at once, the sphere disappeared, and only the professor remained.

From his crouch, he stood up, feeling, and seeing, all his students' eyes on him.

Thomas spoke only five words.

"Do I have your attention?"

* * *

In the face of what was likely the most dramatic – and definitely the most epic – entrance they had ever witnessed, his students could only gape at him in utter awe.

Utter.

Awe.

He heard one of his diva students praise his entrance, but apart from that student, the class was stunned, still gazing at the stage in absolute, jaw-dropping wonder.

Knowing that pausing for too long would ruin the moment, Thomas ducked to exit the sphere and casually walked up to the podium as he thanked his friends from the Terminator movies for the use of their equipment.

While telling his students that their next assignment was to capture attention through showmanship and spectacle, and that, after partnering up, it was up to them to choose how to do so, he thought of the seven and a half hours of measurements, calculations, assembly, and testing it had taken to do this for them.

 _The things I do for you idiots._

But, despite himself…

…Thomas was smiling.

* * *

(End of Chapter Twelve.) (18/06/16.)

* * *

 **01\. Canon compliance:**

The HWU quests that took place in this chapter were Wild Night (Level 08); Crash and Burn (Level 09); and Diva and Conquer (Day 01 of 07).

* * *

 **02\. A tiny request:**

Thank you for reading my fanfic! :D If you've read this far, I hope you'll consider taking an extra minute to leave a review for Chapter Twelve ("Spark Sphere")? :D Reviews really mean a lot to me as a fanfiction writer because I get to hear your thoughts on something I worked really hard on ^_^ Even if it's the year 2075 or something, I would love to hear your thoughts on this chapter! :D

* * *

 **03\. Two interesting HWU things:  
**

One, the HWU online television series! :D Did you know that a fellow HWU fan, Zoe (her username on Tumblr is "dizzyclueless"), is diligently working on HWU: The Series? It's a fan-made online television series based on Thomas Hunt and other characters from Hollywood U! ^_^ (At the moment, I'm just a very enthusiastic supporter... but I would LOVE to be involved in HWU: The Series someday! :D) You can find out more about this AMAZING television project on Tumblr (their official Tumblr blog is "hwutheseries"). I just LOVE how Pixelberry and Hollywood U have inspired SO many of us fans! ^_^

And two, my second HWU fanfic! :D If you're interested in reading Marie Claire's perspective of this chapter (Chapter Twelve), then I encourage you to read "NYTMC 2: Marie Claire's Interlude" ^_^ Here's the summary: _"(Part two of the NYTMC series.) (Midquel.) How did Marie Claire Hart fall in love with her most dashing, yet most cantankerous, professor? A retelling of my MC/Hunt fanfic "NYTMC 1: Not Your Typical Meet-Cute" from Marie Claire's perspective, in 100-word drabbles."_


	13. Day 13 (S): Tank (Levels 09-10)

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Hollywood U. This amazing game belongs to Pixelberry! :)**

* * *

 **My responses to your reviews:**

50\. (24/06/16) Guest: Hmm… As one of my readers, I think that's something I should be asking YOU instead… :P What do you think? :P

49\. (24/06/16) Guest: Thanks for reading! If you check my author's notes at the end of the chapter, you can see when the next chapter will be released :)

48\. (20/06/16) Guest: Yay! Thank you so much! I really love this particular chapter, so it's wonderful to hear from you that it was creative and original and that you liked it! Thank you! :D

47\. (18/06/16) Guest: Some things would definitely look more suspicious and alarming at night… like the tank, for example XD I have an idea for when to mention the Holly Chang bench… but we'll see… :P

46\. (18/06/16) Guest: Haha! In the latest chapter, he almost cackles evilly about something :D

* * *

 **Chapter Thirteen: Day 13 (Saturday) – Tank (Levels 09-10)**

* * *

After he had deprived himself of sleep to create the electric spark sphere for his freshman class, Thomas felt no guilt at waking up much later than usual on Saturday morning. It was, after all, the weekend, and he had every right to sleep in anyway. But eventually, he had to wake up and have breakfast, as he had to catch up on his correspondence.

Sitting in his usual chair in the backyard, Thomas checked his e-mail and saw that his students had already started sending in the work he had e-mailed them about the previous Saturday. He was glad that some of them were taking their responsibilities seriously, though they were only a select few. Remembering that he left his flash drive on his bedside table, he went inside to get it.

When he returned to his laptop outside, he was surprised to see a small lizard on his keyboard. About two thirds as long as Thomas' smallest finger, it must have been a baby lizard. He blew on the lizard to send it scrambling away before sitting back down and opening his most recent e-mails.

 _I wonder how many students will make eleventh hour submissions?_

He downloaded the files, putting them all in one folder so that they would all be together, and afterwards, he started working on the weekly schedule that he would e-mail his students later that day. But before he could start, the phone in his pocket began to beep.

 _It's Saturday. Why did I set my alarm- Oh, right…_

Yesterday, after he arrived home, he had received an e-mail from somebody telling him that he would find something interesting outside the Hollywood U campus on Saturday morning. Apparently, Thomas' contact had managed to procure a rather unusual vehicle for the production crew of "Clash at Sunset." When Thomas had asked what that was, he received the reply that it was a movie for which Marie Claire had been assigned the position of producer.

 _It's hard to believe that they'll have something like that there today, but I wouldn't mind taking a look…_

He decided to write the schedule later. It could wait.

* * *

There was nothing quite like the atmosphere of a busy movie set. Ducking under some velvet ropes, he saw set pieces, backdrops, trailers, and catering tables, scattered in the large outdoor area of the campus that they had claimed for themselves. People were rushing here and there, carrying things that needed to be placed elsewhere.

He made his way to Marie Claire, whose pink hair was easy to spot in a crowd, and whose voice could be heard by all present.

"…And we'll put the third gas lap there, ten feet by the last one!"

She was gesturing to her classmates to move the gas lamp, instructing them to make sure that it was set up perfectly straight and that it wouldn't wobble and topple over the others. Thomas approached her as they were finishing.

"Perfect! Thanks, guys!" Marie Claire smiled at her two action hero classmates who had moved the gas lamp, and they waved at her, gesturing that she was welcome.

Though Thomas was walking towards her, he saw that Addison reached her first.

"Those gas lamps are perfect for the scene, Marie Claire!" she said excitedly. "It's going to look amazing when the tank rolls through and knocks them over!"

 _So they really_ did _get a tank?_

Reaching Marie Claire at last, Thomas commented, "Someone's entrusted _you_ with a tank? Fascinating."

 _Seeing a tank in their movie would be quite impressive._

She and Addison both turned around. "Professor Hunt?" Marie Claire asked. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm observing," he replied. "Seeing as a drink led to you being on academic probation, I shudder to think of the damage you could do with a tank."

Grinning happily at him, Marie Claire said, "Well, you won't be observing any damage here, Professor… just some movie magic!" She raised her voice, addressing everybody in the area. "Okay, everything's in place now, guys! We just need some extras in here so that we can film the reaction shots!"

 _She looks perfectly at ease with the responsibilities of a movie producer,_ Thomas noted.

Ethan walked up to the three of them and tapped Marie Claire on the shoulder, telling her that Crash – whoever that was – would be there soon. She waved the extras over and told them to scream very loudly when they saw the tank.

 _I'm pretty sure they would know to scream if they suddenly saw a tank barreling down the road in the city._

Farlene, one of the two extras, gaped at Marie Claire. "You're serious? We're actually using a real tank? Isn't that dangerous?"

 _Yes, it is._

The second extra, Modenne, had a worried frown on her face. "It's not armed, right?"

 _Of course not,_ Thomas thought. _Who sends an armed tank to be part of a movie scene?_

"Of course not!" Marie Claire reassured them.

 _Good._

Then she paused.

"I mean, probably not…"

 _What is she saying?_

And she paused again, this time her shoulders drooping.

"…it might be armed…"

 _What?!_ Thomas screeched inside his mind. _The tank might be armed?!_

Changing the topic, Ethan asked Marie Claire if she had heard from Crash yet.

She shook her head. "I haven't heard a thing."

That was the last thing Thomas heard her say before they all heard something.

Something _huge._

* * *

Later on, when things were quieter, Thomas would muse absently that the juxtaposition of Marie Claire's statement and the explosion they all heard was like something out of a movie, layering one level of irony after another.

But at the moment, she and Ethan – and Thomas – were sprinting towards the huge explosion they heard. Her last statement before they all started running, which was to the effect that what they heard sounded bad, was a severe understatement that didn't do justice to the scene at which they arrived two blocks away from the Hollywood U campus.

The tank, had it been used in a legitimate movie scene in a controlled setting, would have been the scene stealer of the entire movie. It was beyond huge – it was a menacing behemoth of a machine, with a gleaming forest green exterior, moving on its track using road wheels that were each taller than Thomas himself. The upper level of the tank had an impossibly long gun barrel attached to the gun mantlet on the turret of the tank where the driver would be. The gun barrel of the gigantic, imposing tank was completely still… but the same could not be said of the road wheels, which were careening onwards towards two parked cars.

Those same cars were crushed flat in under ten seconds.

"Stop! Stop!" Marie Claire screamed, waving her arms at the tank. "You're on the wrong street!"

 _What can I do?_ Thomas thought fearfully. _I don't have any means of contacting the driver and I obviously can't stop the tank myself!_

Ethan whipped out a walkie-talkie and started shouting into it. "Stop, Crash! You need to shut off the tank! This isn't part of the scene!"

Moving towards him to take the walkie-talkie and hammer some sense into whoever this Crash was, Thomas was stopped by the response that came from the walkie-talkie's speakers.

"Can't… hear… you guys… Car… mailbox… all doomed!… Destroy… DESTROY! DESTRUCTION!"

 _There's no reasoning with that lunatic._

With Marie Claire screaming at the driver to stop, the tank raced on, overturning a lamp post and smashing an RV.

"You're in the wrong place, Crash!" Despite everything, Marie Claire was still trying to convince the driver to stop the tank. "You have to stop!"

And, eventually, after crashing into a large, two-story house, which might have looked picturesque before, but now looked like… well, like it had been damaged like a tank had gone through it… the tank finally came to a full stop.

The hatch on top of the tank's turret popped open, and Thomas suddenly understood why the driver was immune to reason.

The same stunt lunatic from the park, who was apparently called Crash, grinned maniacally at everybody assembled at the scene. "BOOM! We totally nailed that! Best scene EVER!"

"Are you kidding?" Marie Claire replied dejectedly. "This was an absolute, undeniable disaster, Crash! We smashed so much stuff and wrecked an entire city block… and we didn't even film any of it…"

She covered her face with her hands. Thomas was livid.

 _That's all she's worried about? The movie footage? What about the destruction they caused?!_

After a moment, Marie Claire uncovered her face and straightened up. "We need to fix this. Ethan, call the police. We need to report this incident as soon as possible. And if you could explain that it was an accident, that would really help."

Ethan nodded. "I'll try, Marie Claire. I just hope they believe me…" He entered his passcode into his phone and walked off so that he could speak to the police in private.

Marie Claire turned to Crash. "Crash, make sure everything in that tank is completely turned off. Afterwards, you need to go inside right away and check if there's anybody in the house. Evacuate the residents and if anybody is hurt, even if it's just a scratch, call an ambulance."

Crash, finally sensing the gravity of the situation, nodded. After checking the tank's mobility and weapon's systems, he confirmed to everybody that the tank was now completely safe. Climbing out of the hatch, he disappeared into the wrecked house.

 _She must have chosen him because he's likely to have to most experience navigating in unsafe environments._

But no matter her thoughtfulness now, it couldn't change what had transpired in the last ten minutes, and Thomas could barely contain his fury that they had not planned better; that they had not taken the time to _think;_ that they had hurt _so many people_ with their actions… He stomped towards her.

She was still talking, this time to the extras and the crew that had followed them to see what was happening. "Guys, if you could help out with the… um, the wreckage… That would be great. Start with clearing the street so that police cars and ambulances can go through." She took a deep breath. "As for me, I'll-"

"You," Thomas hissed, making her turn around and wince against the onslaught of his furious glare, "will be in my office in exactly one hour."

Marie Claire could only nod.

He turned his back on her. He had things to do.

* * *

"I already know, Thomas."

He gaped at Andrew. "I ran all the way here from the tank to notify you of the incident! The tank crashed into that house only about ten or fifteen minutes ago! How could you possibly know already?"

Andrew gestured for Thomas to take a seat, and he did as Andrew explained. "The campus security heard the explosion, too. They were right behind you while you were running towards the tank after the explosion you heard. The security that followed you called the security headquarters, and they, in turn, called me."

Thomas rolled his eyes. "Of course. Is there anything you don't know?"

"Plenty," Andrew answered, leaning back into his chair. "For starters, I don't know what to do with the student responsible for the incident. Marie Claire Hart is the movie's producer, correct?"

Ignoring the question, Thomas banged his fist on Andrew's desk. "What do you mean, you don't know what to do with her?! She needs to be expelled!"

Raising his eyebrow, Andrew said, "If you'll recall, Lisa Valentine trashed a hotel room mere hours after she enrolled as a student here, and no disciplinary action was taken. How is this any different?"

"This is different because Lisa Valentine did not destroy city property! She did not endanger lives! And not only that, but this is Marie Claire's second infraction!"

"Fair point."

After a pause, Andrew spoke again. "How is she as a student? Has she behaved responsibly since the disciplinary meeting?"

Thomas snorted. "The first project of the year was the 24 Hour Film. She and her partner were late in submitting their assignment. Granted, it was only by fifteen seconds, but when the whole point of the project is time management, fifteen seconds is sufficient grounds for disqualification."

"What was their movie like? Do you remember?"

"Yes," Thomas replied. After being prompted by Andrew, he elaborated. "It was a high fantasy short film that started with Marie Claire, who was a cloaked warrior, riding a horse. They were trying to find a map that would lead to the last dragon egg in existence…"

As he talked, with Andrew listening intently, he was startled to realize that he could remember their movie in its entirety.

Thomas concluded his story. "In the final scene, Marie Claire was the last survivor of the group of heroes. She saw the dragon egg on the stone pedestal, held in place by golden strings of silk that represented the power one would wield with the world's last living dragon. She was just about to untie the strings and take the dragon egg off the stone pedestal when the movie ended."

After hearing that, Andrew frowned. "What an abrupt way to finish the story. Surely she could have given the audience a clear-cut happy ending instead?"

"Speaking for myself," Thomas replied, "it felt right to end the movie there. That was the way it was meant to end."

"I see. And what were the other aspects of the movie like? The costumes; the settings; the supporting cast?"

"The costumes were fairly well-made considering the short amount of time they had. For the most part, the settings were made using green screen because their movie was supposed to be high fantasy. And besides the main villain, the supporting cast didn't have much screen time, but their strong subplot, however brief, made up for that."

Andrew asked, "What was your overall impression of their first project?"

"That they would have won the class competition if they had submitted it on time," Thomas said truthfully.

The dean tapped his finger on his desk a few times, thinking. "But that was a group project. What is she like as an individual student? Has she stood out in any remarkable manner?"

 _Yes,_ Thomas thought, seeing fringe moccasins and chili cheese nachos in his mind's eye. _And that's not even going into the smostril…_

Not wanting to tell the dean that he had accidentally overheard his students talking in a fashion boutique; that he had once attempted to talk to Marie Claire telepathically; and that a student of his had actually had the idea to smile with her _nostrils,_ of all things, he instead brought up the recent Improv Acting unit. "Her acting talent in that short film also translates to improv. In one of the exercises, she was the one to speak first to lead her partner, so that they could both be successful."

He _was_ not going to tell Andrew about the time Marie Claire had pretended to be him while scolding her classmates. Frankly, Thomas didn't think he could talk about her one-time impersonation of him and still pretend to be wholly unimpressed.

Not seeming to realize that Thomas was withholding several pieces of information from him, Andrew said, "It sounds like she has potential. Is that true?"

 _Yes,_ Thomas thought immediately, though he was afterwards annoyed at how easily his unspoken answer had come to him.

Out loud, he said, "I would say that she is one of my students who does have some potential."

"Given her potential, do you think that immediate expulsion, today, is the best course of action?"

He didn't speak.

The dean leaned towards him. "Thomas?"

 _Ugh. He's not saying that he's on her side, but he is. And he's right – potential like hers…_

"No," Thomas said at last. "I suppose not."

After that, Thomas spent a few minutes talking to Andrew about the statement they would release to the police as well as to the media, and, after being warned that the police might want his statement as well later that day or the next day, as he was a witness to the incident, Thomas excused himself and went back to his office.

Once there, he looked at the clock on the wall and saw that Marie Claire was due to arrive any minute now, as it was almost exactly one hour after the tank had crashed into the house.

 _I can't believe all of this happened today… How am I even supposed to react? How could a student of mine behave so irresponsibly?_

Thomas snorted.

 _Well, I should have expected it of the student on academic probation…_

He heard somebody knocking on the door. "Professor Hunt?"

It was Marie Claire.

"Enter."

* * *

Marie Claire stepped into his office, alone, and closed the door. As she sat down on one of the chairs on the opposite side of his desk, his first thought was that she looked wary.

 _I wonder why,_ he thought sarcastically.

"Professor Hunt, I-"

He held up a hand, and she stopped talking.

"Before we discuss the appalling destruction of property that was most definitely _your fault,_ I have a question that needs answering. How did you become the producer of Clash at Sunset?"

After all, he might as well satisfy his curiosity before lecturing her until her ears fell off.

"Well," Marie Claire said, "it all started when I got that script delivered to my dorm. My benefactor gave me a million dollars and told me to make Clash at Sunset."

Thomas quickly sat up. "Benefactor?"

She nodded. "It was how I got into Hollywood U. Somebody had paid for my tuition. Since I've arrived, my benefactor has been giving me money and telling me to do things."

His blood ran cold. _What sorts of things…?_

"Like, once, my benefactor gave me five hundred dollars and told me to improve how the campus looked, so I arranged for a palm tree to be planted near one of the director dorms."

Thomas gave a quiet sigh of relief. _That doesn't sound so bad…_

 _…but five hundred dollars is not the same as a million dollars._

"Who is your benefactor?"

Shrugging, she said, "I have no idea. And no way to investigate, since all I get from him or her are letters and money. Which is kind of strange, to be honest. Who even writes letters anymore?"

It wasn't strange at all. Not to Thomas, who knew people – certain influential, powerful people who were members of a certain influential, powerful organization – who had access to quality Hollywood scripts and more than enough money to use to gamble on students on the off-chance that they had the potential to be highly-skilled industry professionals.

 _But I'm not sure. It could be them. I would even go so far as to say that it's the most likely possibility. But I can't be sure – not yet._

He paused.

 _But either way, what kind of idiot accepts such large amounts of money from a complete stranger?!_

As he began to feel irritated about that, Marie Claire started speaking again.

"After we got the script and the money, we started recruiting the people my benefactor wanted to be in the movie – and we found out that I'm not the only one with a benefactor! Modenne and Masha have the same benefactor I do!"

 _I understand why they would want Modenne. Like Marie Claire, she also has potential. As for Masha… I haven't seen much of her work as of yet. Which one of the three of them are they trying to recruit? Or is it that they want all three of them?_

"Soon after that, we found out that we could get the tank, and when Crash was driving it yesterday, it seemed fine…" Marie Claire trailed off.

 _"Fine?"_ Thomas said incredulously. "Did you perform any safety checks on the tank the first day you saw it?"

Marie Claire shook her head regretfully.

"And why didn't you?"

"Since it was operational and everything, we didn't think there would be any problems…"

"Well, _you were wrong!_ " shouted Thomas, banging his fist on his desk, much like he had done earlier in Andrew's office. Taking no notice of Marie Claire's cowering, he continued furiously, "Your production crew wrecked an entire city block, and as the producer, this is _your_ responsibility! Do you have _anything_ to say for yourself?"

"It wasn't supposed to go this way…" she protested weakly. "I didn't mean for any of this to happen…"

 _Of course she didn't! I know that! But that doesn't excuse her actions!_

"It's not always about what you meant, Marie Claire! Actions you take can _always_ have unforeseen consequences! Even if you had good intentions, do you think those good intentions matter to the owners of those cars? Do you think the family who lives in that house cares _that you didn't mean for any of this to happen?_ " Thomas said those last words with an angry sneer. "Because I know for sure that they only care that your _tank_ destroyed their possessions, and, more importantly, their _home!_ "

"I…" she gulped nervously, unable to look at him, "I'll make everything right, Professor Hunt! We'll pay for everything we wrecked!"

"Well, I should hope so! That's the very least you can do! Do you know how close you are to a one-way ticket home?! How you were almost expelled today?!"

That made her finally look at him, her eyes wide. "Expelled…?"

He wondered if he ought to tell her that he had pushed for her expulsion himself, only to be talked out of it by Andrew at the last minute. After a beat, he decided not to mention it, at least for now.

"Of course!" Thomas roared, his fist still clenched. "Your thoughtlessness has damaged this school's reputation… and more importantly, your negligence in enacting safety protocol endangered people's lives! Now go and make this right! _Get out of my office!_ "

And, faster than he would have ever thought possible, she did.

* * *

Much later, when he was finally home, Thomas wrote in his journal.

 ** _"Never have I had a student be in charge of a million-dollar movie budget in their first two weeks at Hollywood U… but never, also, have I had a student be the cause of major destruction of both public and private property._**

 ** _"Once again, Marie Claire has proven to be both my most promising student and my most frustrating."_**

Thomas closed his journal and shook his head.

 _My students really are idiots. Or at least that particular one._

He still wasn't sure that letting Marie Claire stay at Hollywood U was for the best. After all, if they expelled her now, they would be certain that she wouldn't be causing such incidents again… or at least if she did so, she would no longer be connected to the university.

She was defiant at her disciplinary meeting and she was impertinent in class. Now that he had time to think about it, he realized today was the first time he had seen her afraid. Before today, she had the bearing of somebody cloaked in naivete and invulnerability. And it was both of those qualities that prevented her from seeing that she should have done everything she could have to make sure that the tank was safe before she made the decision to take it to the city and use it in her movie. Her lack of foresight, and her inability to imagine consequences, was due to the inherent fearlessness with which she faced life… or at least his classes.

A tendril of an idea came into being in Thomas' mind for one second – before erupting in a supernova of brilliance.

 _Yes, that might work-_

 _-I would need a lot of-_

 _-how many could-_

Before he knew it, he was rushing to open his laptop and open a new document, ideas for scripts and costumes and blocking and make-up all rushing from his brain to his fingertips to his screen…

 _-not too much, of course-_

 _-slowly, as slowly as possible-_

…his fingers fumbling as he struggled to keep with the speed at which his mind jumped from one idea to the next…

 _-hidden until the right time-_

 _-nonthreatening, then aggressive-_

…until he finally satisfied himself with the pages of inspired thoughts and tricky plans he had written down. It would take a few days to contact the necessary people and to enact what he had in mind, but that was alright. Thomas grinned gleefully, rubbing his hands together as he resisted the urge to let out an evil cackle. He could wait a few days.

It was not revenge on behalf of the staff of Hollywood U or the residents who had suffered damage from the day's events. Of course not. It was only because he believed that actions had consequences, but to be able to conceive the idea of consequences, one must first learn to be afraid. Marie Claire had to learn to be afraid so that she could be a better student, and it was Thomas' job, as her professor, to teach her.

 _So what if this teaching method is… slightly unconventional?_

Realizing that the document was yet to have a title, Thomas scrolled to the very top of the first page.

Once there, he typed only two words.

 ** _"Fear 101."_**

* * *

(End of Chapter Thirteen.) (25/06/16.)

* * *

 **01\. Canon compliance:**

The HWU quests that took place in this chapter were Crash and Burn (Level 09); Enemy Lines (Level 10); and Diva and Conquer (Day 02 of 07).

* * *

 **02\. A tiny request:**

Thank you for reading my fanfic! :D If you've read this far, I hope you'll consider taking an extra minute to leave a review for Chapter Thirteen ("Tank")? :D Reviews really mean a lot to me as a fanfiction writer because I get to hear your thoughts on something I worked really hard on ^_^ Even if it's the year 2075 or something, I would love to hear your thoughts on this chapter! :D

* * *

 **03\. Two interesting HWU things:  
**

One, the HWU online television series! :D Did you know that a fellow HWU fan, Zoe (her username on Tumblr is "dizzyclueless"), is diligently working on HWU: The Series? It's a fan-made online television series based on Thomas Hunt and other characters from Hollywood U! ^_^ (At the moment, I'm just a very enthusiastic supporter... but I would LOVE to be involved in HWU: The Series someday! :D) You can find out more about this AMAZING television project on Tumblr (their official Tumblr blog is "hwutheseries"). I just LOVE how Pixelberry and Hollywood U have inspired SO many of us fans! ^_^

And two, my second HWU fanfic! :D If you're interested in reading Marie Claire's perspective of this chapter (Chapter Thirteen), then I encourage you to read "NYTMC 2: Marie Claire's Interlude" ^_^ Here's the summary: _"(Part two of the NYTMC series.) (Midquel.) How did Marie Claire Hart fall in love with her most dashing, yet most cantankerous, professor? A retelling of my MC/Hunt fanfic "NYTMC 1: Not Your Typical Meet-Cute" from Marie Claire's perspective, in 100-word drabbles."_


	14. Day 14a (S): Fairy Circle (Level 10)

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Hollywood U. This amazing game belongs to Pixelberry! :)**

* * *

 **My responses to your reviews:**

51\. (25/06/16) Guest: Thank you very much for your review! :) I shall not confirm at this time whether or not that event will be featured anywhere in my fanfic :P But I'm glad you think that the Fear 101 quest makes more sense to you in this context and that my choice to use the original Enemy Lines material better ties in with that quest! :) Thank you! :)

* * *

 **Chapter Fourteen: Day 14a (Sunday) – Fairy Circle (Level 10)**

* * *

It was a good day to be jogging by the harbor, even if he started late and it was already eleven o'clock in the morning. Moving at a steady pace, Thomas passed the boats on the harbor, some of which had people on the decks or even exiting the boats completely to do whatever needed to be done on-shore. All of them were tethered to the docks, unable to move without a human being untying the ropes that were holding them tight.

The sunny weather was such that Thomas had not been the only one to think of going out to jog. He had already passed three people such as himself who wanted to take advantage of the bright Sunday morning.

 _Considering the type of place Hollywood is, I suppose most people want to look their best._

Continuing on, he came across the same farmer's market that he had seen the previous weekend. Brightly-colored kiosks attracted the outdoor shoppers, many of whom were browsing the wares of artisanal food manufacturers. Other stalls had no need for the artificial color that the others did, their fresh fruits and vegetables, bursting with flavor and vitality and life, had all the color they desired. Thomas even saw the same stall where he had bought the dried fruit and nuts, but he chose not to buy any today, as he did not consume them often.

Somehow, it seemed like there were more stalls today than there had been the previous weekend, as if there was something special about today, but it must have just been because it was the end of the month and, therefore, the last weekend for the validity of some of the sellers' business permits and operation licenses. Thomas considered buying something at the farmer's market, but, deciding that he had all he needed at home, he chose to jog back to his house.

* * *

Jogging all the way back home gave Thomas an appetite, making him want to prepare himself a bowl of filling oatmeal. After measuring out an exact cup of oats and transferring them to a bowl, followed by a cup and a half of whole milk. After heating the mixture in the microwave for one full minute, he added a teaspoon each of wild honey and brown sugar. He decided against adding some of the trail mix he knew he still had in the back of his pantry, not wanting to add even more calories to his breakfast just after jogging to keep himself in good health.

Bowl of prepared oatmeal in one hand and laptop bag in the other, he left the kitchen and went to the table in his backyard. As yesterday's tank incident had disrupted his normal schedule, Thomas had a lot to accomplish this morning. Upon opening his laptop and checking his e-mail, he saw that three former students had written him during the week to ask for his advice; several current students had submitted their assignments; and he still had to thank the friends that had sent him the boxes of equipment for the spark sphere.

After feeling for it in the usual part of his laptop bag, but not finding it, Thomas headed back into his house to retrieve his phone. He normally wrote notes to himself throughout the day if there was anything he needed to remember, and it would be better to have his phone with him before getting started on his correspondence.

Finding it on his bedside table, he checked to see how much battery it had left, and was surprised by two things: it was already twenty minutes to noon _and_ Andrew had tried to call him twice that morning. Feeling that he ought to return the dean's calls, Thomas sat on his bed and did so.

 _"Hello, Thomas?"_

It seemed like Andrew sounded cheerful all the time, and today was no exception. After exchanging pleasantries, Thomas asked why he had called – and Andrew replied that he had done so to remind him of the day's – or rather the night's – obligations.

"What do you mean, Andrew?" Thomas asked as he held the phone to his ear. "What obligations?"

 _"Don't tell me you've forgotten, Thomas! We discussed it at the staff meeting three weeks ago, and I won't have you trying to talk your way out of chaperoning!"_

"Chaperoning what?"

Hearing his genuinely puzzled question, Andrew let out a loud laugh.

 _"One of your favorite university events, of course! See you later – and remember to look sharp!"_

The dean hung up. Thomas racked his brain, but he couldn't think of anything that he had to do today.

 _What obligations and chaperoning duties did he mean?_

Wondering what Andrew was talking about, Thomas checked his calendar… and groaned.

He had essays to correct, e-mails to send, and critiques to write.

The _last_ thing he wanted to do tonight was to attend the _Fairy Kingdom Formal._

 _Why me…?_

Knowing he had no choice, he slowly got up and walked towards the kitchen. If he was going to be subjected to the pointless fanfare of the formal and obnoxious posturing of his unaccomplished film and fashion students later tonight, Thomas believed that he deserved to eat his oatmeal with toppings.

* * *

He walked out to the table again, this time with a plate of mixed nuts, dried fruit, and chocolate chips. He normally felt minimalistic after jogging, hence the oatmeal earlier, but after remembering that he had to go to the Fairy Kingdom Formal, he felt a little indulgence was in order, even if it was in the form of trail mix over oatmeal.

But as he approached the table, he noticed that there was something there that wasn't there before. Setting down the small plate of mixed oatmeal toppings on the table, he looked at the dead cricket on this laptop.

 _What is a cricket doing there? And why is it dead?_

Thomas sat down and made to brush off the cricket when he was interrupted by a bird's squawk.

"Caw!"

From behind his laptop screen hopped out Mischief, the bird that had stolen his fountain pen the previous weekend. Her glossy black feathers glinted in the morning sun, and her small black eyes looked up at the professor who was looking down on her.

 _Was she waiting for me? I suppose I'm not the only one who can make dramatic entrances after all._

After cawing some more in greeting, Mischief hopped onto his laptop and picked up the cricket with her beak, depositing it on the back of Thomas' right hand. He recoiled in disgust, snatching his hand back as the cricket tumbled back down onto the table.

Looking at him almost reprovingly, the bird quickly ate a walnut from his plate. Immediately after, she picked up the cricket and hopped towards Thomas, offering it to him as she set it down on the edge of the table.

Perplexed, Thomas studied the bird and the dead cricket she was presenting.

 _Does she want to give me the cricket?_

As Mischief took another treat from his plate and ate it, before cawing again and pointing the the cricket with her beak, Thomas realized what she meant.

 _She doesn't just want to give me the cricket – she wants me to_ eat _the cricket!_

He stared at her incredulously, remembering the worm and lizard that had appeared on his laptop during the previous week while it had been left unguarded on the table.

"Caw, caw!" cried Mischief, flapping her wings and pointing again at the cricket, before looking up at Thomas.

"You know," he said, trying to talk to a bird, of all things, "if you want some treats, you don't have to trade me worms or lizards or crickets. I don't eat crickets, you see."

In reply, Mischief picked up the cricket and walked up to his left hand, where she placed it gently by his fingers. Thomas tried not to flinch as she pushed it between his thumb and his index fingers.

Looking up at him again, she squawked cheerfully, "Caw-caw! Caw!"

Checking his phone, he saw it was fifteen minutes to noon. If he didn't do something soon, his very late oatmeal breakfast would become lunch. And who ate oatmeal for lunch?

Thomas sighed.

When recalling the incident in the future, he would blame his actions on his stress and annoyance at the upcoming Fairy Kingdom Formal. He picked up the cricket and held it gingerly between his fingertips. As he took it closer to his mouth, he raised his other hand and cupped it around his lips, after which he dropped the dead cricket into his hand, feeling it against his chin as he pretended to chew and gulp for Mischief's benefit.

It seemed to work – after a few happy caws, the bird went back to Thomas' plate – as she did so, he quickly dropped the dead cricket inside his laptop bag – and gulped down a third piece of food – this time, a particularly big peanut.

Before Mischief could start to consume all of his toppings, he deftly picked out the chocolate chips from the plate and sprinkled them on his oatmeal.

 _You forced me to pretend to eat a cricket,_ Thomas thought petulantly, watching her munch as he stirred his oatmeal. _Just for that, you don't get chocolate chips._

* * *

After finishing his oatmeal – which started as breakfast and ended as lunch – he ignored the bird that was still pecking one treat at a time to work on his correspondence. Like yesterday, he downloaded the new essays that had come from his students and saved them in the same folder as before. Reading so many of them would be tedious, but learning their insights on the projects they had already finished would help him get to know his students, which was an important part of being their professor.

 _I only hope that none of them are stupid enough to plagiarize anything…_

Consulting his detailed Microsoft Excel file, he wrote a few paragraphs and bullet points explaining the schedule for the week, which mostly consisted of giving them time to complete their diva project. He had asked for their social media accounts because, throughout the week, he would be monitoring their progress with regards to their popularity – or at least their visibility – in carrying out the diva project, the goal of which was to get as much attention as possible. He did, however, instruct them to come to the campus on one particular night for an evening class.

After sending that e-mail to his students and his teaching assistant, he read an e-mail from the contact that had sent him a message the previous day, thought this e-mail was full of apologies, in no small part due to the fact that said contact had been the one to procure the destructive tank for his freshmen students.

 _Dean Ericson_ should _be sorry,_ he thought grumpily. _If he hadn't gotten that tank, none of that would have happened… Though really, no matter what might have happened, the producer's discretion, or rather her lack of it…_

Telling him that he wasn't completely to blame for the incident, but to be careful next time before attempting to secure heavy military machinery for virtual unknowns, he moved on to the next e-mail that he had to write, which was a retelling of what he had done with the equipment that his friends had sent for the spark sphere. While a short note would be enough, Thomas felt it appropriate to tell his friends in a few lines what the final effect had been – as well as to berate them for not warning him that creating the sphere in only one night was ill-advised.

 _And it deprived me of sleep! A lot of sleep!_

Hours flew by as he wrote e-mails containing information, critiques, and inquiries. Mischief had flown away sometime around three o-'clock, but Thomas barely noticed as he immersed himself in work. He tried to accomplish everything he had to in the time he had, but there were still a few things that needed to be done when the time came to stop and prepare to attend the Fairy Kingdom Formal.

As he was about to log off, he noticed an unread e-mail that had, according to the time stamp, come in at four thirty-five in the afternoon. Clicking on it, he smiled as he read the good news contained inside. In response to the inquiry he sent by e-mail right before going home yesterday, the reply he received stated that the actors he requested would be available for rehearsal all of tomorrow. He sent a quick reply to confirm the time and place before shutting off his laptop.

After taking the dead cricket out and putting it in his pocket – he didn't want Mischief to see it on the ground and bring other insects to find one he would eat in front of her – he placed his computer inside his laptop bag, put his phone in the usual place in the bag, and zipped it up. With the bag in one hand and his bowl, spoon, and plate balanced in the other, he turned and walked towards his house. He had an extremely annoying event to prepare for.

* * *

After parking his car, Thomas left the parking lot and headed towards the entrance of the Fairy Kingdom Theme Park, walking past the empty ticket booths and information kiosks until he reached the gates of the amusement park.

A grand, imposing gate stood between him and the event he didn't even want to go to, and even though he wished he could skip it, Thomas knew there would be consequences if he did so – and unlike certain students, Thomas was well aware of where consequences could lead, and so had no choice but to approach the gates.

The dark metal gate was covered with creeping ivy, almost as if in a trapping embrace. Wound around each individual bar, they gave the impression that both gate and ivy had been intertwined since the beginning of time – since the beginning of fairy tales – and they gave the impression that even though one could enter those gates without a care, one would leave behind a part of oneself that would always remain within the confines of the Fairy Kingdom – lovingly chained, but chained all the same.

Beyond the gate, instead of a concrete path, which would have been much more practical, the founder of the Fairy Kingdom, Jacob Wilhelm, purposefully left the path bare – it was but a winding, well-trodden dirt path that led from the gates to the Fairy Kingdom. Perhaps it was because in fairy tales, protagonists didn't have the convenience of concrete – they walked where they could, and made paths where there were none before. Perhaps Wilhelm thought that the Fairy Kingdom was a place for new beginnings.

 _New beginnings, or tired feet?_ Thomas grumbled to himself as he walked. _I should really write to him about this park's infrastructure…_

The sun remained in the sky, knowing it needed to set, but seeming reluctant to do so. The Fairy Kingdom Formal was a night of magic, and, according to a rumor that was no doubt started by some lovestruck students, a night of love. Pretty flowers in a variety of colors shone in the sun's all-encompassing rays, straining to catch as much light as they could before the time for the cold and the dark arrived – but the twinkling lights by the path, which Thomas knew would activate a few minutes before sunset, would ensure that the flowers were never truly swallowed up by darkness.

Reaching the end of the path, Thomas angled his head upwards until he could see the whole façade of the Queen Titania's Castle. Comprised of ancient grey stone – or at least what looked like ancient grey stone – the strong, solemn walls look like they could repel even the most terrible dragon, and above the walls were parapet walks where archers could line up to aid the defense of their queen – or where celebrities dressed up in costumes could relax as they watched people arrive.

 _Or, in Rapunzel's case, lean over to see if her hair really is long enough to be a golden stair… She's going to fall over if she leans over any more than that… Watch out!_

Just in time, an actor dressed as a scaly green dragon prevented Rapunzel from falling over the edge. As she thanked him profusely – both with words and with kisses – Thomas entered the castle to look for the registration area for the professor chaperones.

 _Not just professor chaperones,_ thought Thomas despairingly. _More like extremely unfortunate professor chaperones._

Fifteen minutes later, after he had located the small staff room from where the Fairy Kingdom Formal's behind-the-scenes technicalities would be handled, he informed the staff member that he was present and entered the main ballroom to look for Andrew. Thomas spotted him immediately at the bar and started walking towards him.

As he brushed past some reporters, who were here to thankfully focus on students for a change, he could hear them whispering to each other as they clutched their cameras.

 _"Who's the girl in the gold dress?"_

 _"You mean the one that just arrived? Her hair is amazing!"_

 _"That confident smile of hers – she's the 'One to Watch' for sure!"_

 _"I agree!"_

Ignoring them, he settled in beside Andrew and was about to speak to him – when he turned and spoke to Thomas first.

"Thomas!" he said, smiling as he clutched his gin and tonic. "Glad to see you could make it!"

Thomas snorted. "It's not as if you gave me a choice, Andrew. If you did, I wouldn't have received your calls this morning."

"I'm sure you wanted to come anyway, Thomas!" Andrew said, cheerfully taking a gulp of his drink. "And at least you weren't on the preparation committee! Sometimes, being the dean can be a drag… did you know that I had to look at eight different kinds of crystal wineglasses before the others finally agreed on one? And the logistics of sending limousines to all of the students…"

Too polite to speak to the bartender to get a drink while Andrew was talking, Thomas suffered in silence as the dean continued to speak to him about mundane details that Thomas had no interest in whatsoever.

 _I'll listen… but stop talking first so I can get a drink!_

Unfortunately, it seemed that unlike others, Andrew had no means of receiving telepathic messages.

* * *

It was much later when Andrew finished a long monologue that Thomas, if he didn't know better, would say Andrew had been prepared beforehand. Knowing that there was no logical reason why his colleague would write out a speech about wineglasses, limousines, tablecloths, invitation engravings, and all the rest of it, he cast the idea out of his mind.

But before Thomas could speak to the bartender, Andrew suddenly asked him, "Have you seen the media response to the tank incident?"

Thomas shook his head, slightly embarrassed that he had spent hours yesterday planning a complex creeping formation for the actors-turned-zombies he would be meeting tomorrow for rehearsal.

But only slightly, as she did, after all, deserve it.

"It wasn't nearly as bad as we thought it would be. While some reporters did try to make it sound worse than it was, the fact that she's only a freshman works in her favor."

"I'm surprised to hear that," Thomas replied as he watched a woman dressed as Ursula asked for, and received, a bright green cocktail. "I would have thought that they would jump at the chance to turn any story into some sort of scandal."

Andrew laughed as he swirled his glass. "Either they've seen too much to think that a tank destroying a city block is of no great importance, or they remembered that this formal was scheduled for today and didn't want to have any negative things to say about any of the students, and we don't know yet who'll be named the 'One to Watch.'"

 _I'm pretty sure I know,_ thought Thomas.

He was about to reply when they both saw somebody dressed as Jack the Dragon Slayer waving frantically at Andrew, signaling him to go over there immediately. Andrew quickly finished his drink before setting down his glass on the counter.

"A dean's work is never done! I'll have to go deal with that – but enjoy yourself tonight for the both of us, Thomas!" With that, he was gone.

He supposed that he ought to feel some pity for his overworked colleague, but in reality, he could only feel relieved as he finally had time to get a drink so that he could drown out the noise all around him.

Catching the bartender's attention, Thomas said, "Scotch, neat."

But he had barely finished giving the bartender his order when Thomas felt a soft tap on his shoulder.

* * *

He turned. It was Marie Claire.

Her soft, doe eyes were looking at him hopefully, like she was about to ask something of him that she dearly wanted him to give.

"May I have this dance, Professor?

 _A dance? Why is she asking me for a dance?_

Granted, if there was ever a university event made for dancing, it was the Fairy Kingdom Formal. Thomas knew that, but he also knew about the rumors that could spring up if she were to be seen dancing with him. One turn around the dance floor would be enough for her classmates – and worse, the media – to label her as the sort of young woman who would use her feminine wiles on her professor for nefarious purposes. While she had shown in the past that she had a kind of integrity that was rare for a student to possess, he knew that not many would know that side of her – he had only learned of it himself when he had accidentally overheard her private conversation with Holly – and would be quick to condemn her for something of which she was completely innocent.

Crossing his arms, he replied, "No, Marie Claire. Absolutely not."

Startled by his immediate refusal, she asked, "What? Why not?"

Frankly speaking, he had no idea why she would be so surprised at his response. Having been his student for fourteen days now, she ought to know enough of his personality to realize that he was not one to cater to students' whims – in fact, he had even seen her do an impersonation of him in front of her entire class, showing that she had a grasp on his mannerisms and nature. It was completely in his character to refuse such a ridiculous request, and he would, because even though it seemed that the atmosphere of the Fairy Kingdom Formal had addled her wits, he was in no way similarly impaired.

"I thought you were smarter than that, Marie Claire," he said mockingly, "but I must have overestimated your intelligence. Do I really need to remind you of our respective positions? A dance is out of the question."

Eyes that had looked at him hopefully before were now gazing at him in disappointment, and that gaze affected him to the point that he turned his eyes somewhere else to avoid it – and so he noticed several things: her perfectly shaped nose that looked like it had been sculpted from a Grecian statue; the sheer pink lip gloss she had favored over the bright red lipstick of most of her female classmates; how her earlobe curved just so under the minimal weight of her twinkling dangling earrings, and how she had changed her normal hairstyle, for instead of the wavy way she normally styled her long, pink hair, there were stray curls framing her face as the rest of her hair was swept up in a delicate updo, with small gems peeking out like two hundred shy diamonds.

Not noticing his silent cataloging of the different aspects of her face and of her hair, she frowned, the lips that Thomas had just observed curving downwards in her annoyance with him.

"It's just a dance," she said irritably, mirroring Thomas' own body language by putting her hands on her own hips.

She was only asking for a dance, and should Thomas be convinced, all they would have was a dance. He knew that – but Thomas also knew that dances were tempting, fickle things that could always turn into more. Two dances, perhaps, or three – or other things. There would be conversation during the dance, and he preferred to keep his students at a distance, and that included her – he did not want to tell her things about himself while holding her in his arms, especially not while, on this strange night, his troublemaker appeared… _ethereal._ If the loveliest of all fairies had chosen to take on a human form during this one night that promised magic, she was standing in front of him, sharing her human shell with the heart of his most promising, yet most frustrating, student.

And there was only one thing Thomas could think to say.

"It's never _just_ a dance between a student and a professor."

And right after, he wanted to hit himself, because that sounded like he wanted more than a dance…

"I promise," she said to him reassuringly. "I'm not asking for anything more… yet."

…and if he didn't know any better, _that_ sounded like she would want more than a dance someday…

…and instead of recoiling at the very thought, like a proper professor should, he felt himself wavering because all she was asking for was a dance and some ridiculous part of him wanted to be near her and it was only a dance.

"Normally, I would never even _consider_ this…"

Thomas tried to sound like his usual stern self, and knew without it being pointed out that he was failing…

"…but tonight…"

…and as much as he tried to stop it, his manufactured frown lost a battle against the simple, pleased smile that earned the right to exist by virtue of the fact that he was allowing himself the innocent pleasure of a dance in a public venue, because nothing could happen between them if they were in public; nothing would change between them because they were in public. Sometimes a dance was just a dance, and whatever was causing him to look at her this way, it made him foolish and loose-tongued…

"…I don't know what it is about you…"

…and perhaps it would all be dispelled after a dance, much like how things in fairy tales lose effect after midnight. After midnight, things would be how they should be.

"Is that a yes?" she asked delightedly, and while he couldn't blame her for confirming, as on any other day such acquiescence from him would be impossible, the thrill in her voice made him need to hastily retreat to his traditional scowl.

"…fine," said Thomas.

* * *

(End of Chapter Fourteen.) (02/07/16.)

* * *

 **01\. Canon compliance:**

The HWU quests that took place in this chapter were Enemy Lines (Level 10); Fairy Kingdom Formal (Day 01 of 01) (Part I of II); and Diva and Conquer (Day 03 of 07).

* * *

 **02\. A tiny request:**

Thank you for reading my fanfic! :D If you've read this far, I hope you'll consider taking an extra minute to leave a review for Chapter Fourteen ("Fairy Circle")? :D Reviews really mean a lot to me as a fanfiction writer because I get to hear your thoughts on something I worked really hard on ^_^ Even if it's the year 2075 or something, I would love to hear your thoughts on this chapter! :D

* * *

 **03\. Two interesting HWU things:  
**

One, the HWU online television series! :D Did you know that a fellow HWU fan, Zoe (her username on Tumblr is "dizzyclueless"), is diligently working on HWU: The Series? It's a fan-made online television series based on Thomas Hunt and other characters from Hollywood U! ^_^ (At the moment, I'm just a very enthusiastic supporter... but I would LOVE to be involved in HWU: The Series someday! :D) You can find out more about this AMAZING television project on Tumblr (their official Tumblr blog is "hwutheseries"). I just LOVE how Pixelberry and Hollywood U have inspired SO many of us fans! ^_^

And two, my second HWU fanfic! :D If you're interested in reading Marie Claire's perspective of this chapter (Chapter Fourteen), then I encourage you to read "NYTMC 2: Marie Claire's Interlude" ^_^ Here's the summary: _"(Part two of the NYTMC series.) (Midquel.) How did Marie Claire Hart fall in love with her most dashing, yet most cantankerous, professor? A retelling of my MC/Hunt fanfic "NYTMC 1: Not Your Typical Meet-Cute" from Marie Claire's perspective, in 100-word drabbles."_


	15. Day 14b (S): Fairy Waltz (Level 10)

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Hollywood U. This amazing game belongs to Pixelberry! :)**

* * *

 **My responses to your reviews:**

57\. (04/07/16) Guest: I will! Thank you so much! I think Mischief is hilarious and adorable, too! :)

56\. (04/07/16) Fabiscate: Oh, wow! :) :) I am so glad to hear that you like my fanfic so much! :) It looks like we feel the same way about their romance – that instead of happening very fast, it developed slowly as they got to know each other :) I am thrilled that you liked Chapter Fourteen so much! I really wanted to get certain feelings across to my readers, and I'm so happy that my writing was able to affect you that way! :) I hope you feel the same way about the next chapter, too! :)

55\. (03/07/16) MiraMaria: Thank you so much! :D The details were really fun to write! :)

54\. (03/07/16) Guest: That is indeed important news :P

53\. (02/07/16) Rina-The-Fangirl: I'm so glad you liked it! :D Mischief is a very generous bird, isn't she? :P

52\. (02/07/16) Guest: You're welcome! :) And I'm glad you were happy to see Mischief return! :P Social media is actually mentioned in the diva help quest (it's just not as important as it was in the celebutante quest), so that's why I had Thomas ask for everybody's accounts in advance. As for your premium quest question… well, the first premium quest after the short break will be Fear 101. And after that? I think I'll keep it under my hat for now… wouldn't want to spoil the surprise, after all! :P

* * *

 **Chapter Fifteen: Day 14b (Sunday) – Fairy Waltz (Level 10)**

* * *

Excerpt from Chapter Fourteen:

 _"…There would be conversation during the dance, and he preferred to keep his students at a distance, and that included her – he did not want to tell her things about himself while holding her in his arms, especially not while, on this strange night, his troublemaker appeared…_ ethereal. _If the loveliest of all fairies had chosen to take on a human form during this one night that promised magic, she was standing in front of him, sharing her human shell with the heart of his most promising, yet most frustrating, student…"_

* * *

"Is that a yes?" she asked delightedly, and while he couldn't blame her for confirming, as on any other day such acquiescence from him would be impossible, the thrill in her voice made him need to hastily retreat to his traditional scowl.

"…fine," said Thomas.

She happily took his hand and led him to the middle of the ballroom, where, for show, he begrudgingly took her in his arms. And when soft music filled the air and couples gathered on the dance floor…

…they _danced._

His enchanting partner is content to be silent at first as they find their dance rhythm. Whether she was listening to the music, concentrating on her steps, or trying to think of something to talk about with him, he didn't know, but he is alright with the lack of spoken words between them because he was forming his own thoughts about the waltz the orchestra had chosen to play. It was not a waltz Thomas would have expected – he thought they would play a grand waltz, with sweeping and dipping notes in turn as the music attempted to emulate the majesty of Queen Titania's Castle…

…but this waltz was slow, almost lingering in the air. The piano was the star of the instrumental music, one note following another like ducklings in a line; like stars in the sky forming a constellation. Occasionally, the conductor gestured at a man holding a bell, and when he did so, the soft tinkle of the silver bell sounded like faraway laughter.

The music continued, its tempo too fast to induce sleep, but too slow to recommend any sort of fast dancing, as Marie Claire's feet and his danced to a delicate one-two-three beat, as they weaved their way between other dancing couples.

"This is nice," spoke Marie Claire, smiling cheerfully at him as they moved as one on the dance floor.

"Hmmm." Thomas rolled his eyes, once again remembering what made him dislike the Fairy Kingdom Formal in the first place. While this waltz was somewhat unusual, waltzes were nevertheless always played by the orchestra in events like this – formals, balls, and the like. The repetitive music and the foolishness of the Formal itself were only two reasons why he would have rather not come.

She was still smiling, but it was a little subdued now because of his less-than-enthusiastic reaction. "You don't think this is nice? Everything is so beautiful here!"

Because there were in each other's arms, she couldn't gesture like he knew she wanted to, but she did indicate with her head that she thought much of her current surroundings. In a way, Thomas could see what she meant – the orchestra were dressed in sharp tuxes and formal gowns, blending in perfectly with the stately interior of the grand ballroom, from the wide murals on the walls with classic depictions of fairy tales to the impressive chandeliers adorning the ceiling.

Now in a bad mood because of the visual representation of the unnecessary opulence of the evening, he replied irritably, "Do you know how many events have the orchestra play waltzes? All of them – including this one, and that is just one aspect of the night that makes the Fairy Kingdom Formal extremely tedious."

Instead of becoming annoyed at his attitude, Marie Claire had the audacity to giggle. "Well, aren't you a downer tonight. What's wrong?"

He sighed in irritation, trying to ignore the flashes of the paparazzi's cameras as they tried to photograph everything and everybody inside the ballroom.

"I do not know," Thomas said to her as they continued to dance, "whether or not the University does this on purpose – though I would guess that it is their intention – but the Fairy Kingdom Formal is quite possibly the most ridiculous event of the year," he grumbled.

"But that's not really a reason," she pointed out, tilting her head as she met his gaze. "Why do you seem to dislike it so much?"

"I dislike it, Marie Claire," one-two-three, step there, "because as a professor, it embarrasses me to see my students make fools of themselves to be photographed or be written about just so that they can be rich and famous. But what can students with unestablished careers hope to be at this Formal, except to become objects of derision for the media? It's foolish – and still, not as foolish as naming Queen Titania, Ursula, or Jack the Dragon Slayer as somebody that ought to be watched in the industry."

She bit her lip in thought, the movement making her glossy pink lips shine more noticeably in the small movement. Thomas berated himself for noticing, and so almost didn't hear Marie Claire say, "But you're here too. Doesn't that make you part of the problem?"

As her beautiful lips smiled, lip gloss a little smudged but on the whole none the worse for wear, he saw a spark of mischief in her eye that was somehow enhanced by the sparkling gems in her hair.

In an effort to stop talking to her, to stop noticing those little details about her like they were sweethearts dancing at prom, he conceded, just to finish the conversation.

"…fair point."

But instead of taking it as an obvious hint to end all conversation altogether, she took his admission as a victory, and was encouraged to keep speaking with him. "Come on… don't be such a grouch!"

Thomas was baffled. _Don't be such grouch, she says. Has she even_ met _me?_

"You're in the most magical place in the world… you can at least try to put a smile on your face," she said with a grin.

He had already given in to her request for a dance, and now she wanted him to smile, too? He ought to have felt disgruntled, but this is exactly this kind of determination that has made him think of her as his most promising student, and he started to smile at her cheeky daring.

"There it is!" laughed Marie Claire delightedly.

…and her genuine joy at seeing him cheer up embarrassed him, both because she made him happy and because he allowed himself to show it – and his smile was gone, replaced by a frown that felt wrong in the moment they just shared, but it was familiar and he would stick with it.

"Stop messing around, Marie Claire," he grumbled, trying to feel more like himself.

"…And there it goes…" she remarked sadly.

Unaware of the words that had been exchanged between them in the time they had been in each other's arms, the orchestra kept playing…

* * *

…and Thomas and Marie Claire continued to dance.

After a few moments, she blurted out, "You're wrong, you know."

"About what?" he muttered distractedly as he maneuvered them through the crowd of dancing couples, making sure that they didn't bump into anybody.

"You said that your students were trying to get attention for frivolous purposes."

"And I'm right," said Thomas, not knowing why this was even a subject for discussion. He had been teaching for a longer time than she had been a university student, and his years of experience at Hollywood U showed him that many of the students enrolled there wanted the bright lights, the parties, the cameras.

"Not completely," she argued, looking at him stubbornly as she made her point. "I know you're right in a way, and some of my classmates _are_ like that," at that point she coughed, but curiously her cough sounded very much like the name of her nemesis, "but there are some of us – I mean, Agoto was ready to leave Hollywood U rather than sell out his client. By staying true to her own design aesthetic, Farlene risked rejection from her favorite fashion designer. And during our first project, the 24 Hour Film, Diderot wanted to make the best movie we could, because for him, making a movie was its own reward. And I felt the same way he did, and I agreed with my other classmates' decisions."

He paused.

"Well," he coughed, "perhaps a _few_ of my students are not so hopelessly focused on merely the tangible…"

She is cheering up, and this reaction to his faint praise encourages him to continue to speak.

"…but I can tell you from long experience that it is rare for people to feel that way. When I was a director, I met too many people who wished to be remembered, not to create work that was worth remembering."

"Is that why you became a professor?"

Unfortunately, Marie Claire was not privy to his thoughts, and she had no way of knowing why he left the world he loved, what it cost him…

…but she was waiting for an answer, and he decided to tease her to distract her from other uncomfortable topics.

"I don't know if I'm doing any good as a professor, as I seem to end up with a bizarre collection of students every year," he remarked. "For instance, I have one who likes to do ridiculous things like spill drinks on their classmates and destroy city blocks with heavy military machinery…"

Marie Claire blushed, and the light shade of rose that graced her cheeks only brought out the rich color of her pink hair, her updo now a little messier than before from the effort of dancing. A few of her gems in her hair have fallen to the side, making the previous string of gems look somewhat crooked, and he strangely has the urge to reach out and pluck those gems from her soft hair and put them in their rightful places, and after he has done that, he could use his fingertips to brush her cheek, if only to find out if her blushing cheeks are as warm as they are pink…

…and he tears his gaze away from her hair because her delicate pink curls are making him think of stupid, _stupid_ things. Thankfully, Marie Claire has come up with a response, and he will listen to that instead of his stupid, _stupid_ thoughts…

"You say that now," she says playfully, "but that aside, I think you like teaching more than you let on! We can see the work you do for us, and you wouldn't go through the trouble of arranging film screenings, runway shows, or creating that spark sphere if you didn't genuinely want us to learn!"

She means well, but her mention of the spark sphere from two days ago strikes a painful chord with him, and he has to think very quickly to stop from making a mistake in his dancing. He sighs inwardly, relieved that nobody but somebody watching him very closely could have noticed the mistake…

"What's wrong?" asked Marie Claire, concerned.

…and it turned out that somebody was watching him closely after all – though he tells himself that she only noticed because she happened to be dancing with her at the moment.

"About that spark sphere," he said, avoiding her question, "while I was inside it, I certainly wasn't thinking of you idiots."

He had meant to sound harsh when he said that last word, but he's puzzled at the way it came out – almost sounded like a term of endearment towards the morons whose education and futures were in his charge. From Marie Claire's tiny grin, he knows that he is not the only one who noticed.

But she doesn't call him out on it. Instead, she asks him, "What were you thinking of?"

Her innocent question floats in the air, and for one moment, Thomas imagines he can see her words waft in and out and between the music notes coming from the orchestra instruments. The light melody of the piano danced through the room, untouched by the couples twirling in the ballroom; unaffected by whatever was outside. This was the Fairy Kingdom Formal, and somehow, everything about this night felt free and unburdened, even the little tinkling sounds of the silver bell that sounded like laughter, and Thomas wants to be unburdened too, because sometimes the thoughts and the pain are too much for one man to bear…

…and so he gives up trying.

"That making that sphere felt like I was creating again. An actor creates, a director creates – but I am neither of those things anymore; I don't create anymore. I'm only a professor now."

He hopes that the flat tone of his voice can disguise the pain the admission made him feel. He doesn't know why he's telling her, and he wants to blame the airy, dreamlike music for being so free, and he wanted to be free, too...

Thomas is waiting for a sarcastic remark, or a joke – she has a good heart, and would not want him to dwell on his sorrow – but does she even know he is feeling sorrow? Perhaps she is assuming that he feels wistfulness, not pain. It would be good she made that assumption. It would be safe.

Marie Claire tilted her head slightly as she looked at him. He feels as if he is being scrutinized.

"You used to be an actor and a director, before you became a professor."

She did not ask a question; therefore, he did not need to reply.

"I can't…" Suddenly, he sees that she is hesitant, and it fascinates him, because seeing her like this, so careful, makes him feel like his feelings are precious enough to her to not hurt.

For somebody who had not even had anything to drink yet – she had whisked him away to the dance floor before he could get his scotch – he really was thinking like a fool.

"I," she starts again, "can't imagine what it must have been like to leave a successful career. Sometimes, you seem to dislike us, and I wonder why you left. I assumed it was because you couldn't find anybody talented enough to work with you, and that would certainly suit your perfectionist personality…"

There is another pause, but it is one of contemplation on her end, and one of curiosity on his. As they continued to dance, the light of the dozens upon dozens of chandeliers on the ceiling shone down on the room, stray beams of light traveling according to the angles of their hanging crystal drops. The dispersion of light made the whole room seem softer as their fellow dancers were immersed in the melody of the unusually long waltz…

…and as she searched for the right words to say, Thomas cannot help but notice that his student is light on her feet as he leads their dance, her glittering white shoes – GLass shoes, he notes absently – with tiny gold accents a perfect match to her designer dress. The intricate beadwork of her shimmering dress was woven in a complex necklace pattern, and her shoulders were bare and kissable as she twirled in her dress that looked like it was made of softly spun gold created by Rumpelstiltskin himself.

Marie Claire finally continued, "…but whatever your reasons for leaving, I'm glad you came to Hollywood U to teach us. That spark sphere – we were all in such absolute shock because it was so incredibly _brilliant…_ " She shook her head to clear it before speaking again. "Nobody but somebody who loved teaching would take the time to do all of that for us. And the way you looked at us afterwards… you were gloating and smug, but you also looked… content."

He had not known that he had looked content. But had he not smiled while lecturing them that day?

"I don't think you would go out of your way to arrange all these projects for us if you didn't like teaching us, at least on some level. I know it's not the same, that directing and making movies is your first love…"

She continued.

"…but you seem to like teaching too, and so I guess I just want to tell you to open your heart to your second love. Because if you don't close yourself off, then with time, I think you could grow to love teaching, too. If you don't already, that is. And I know," she added quickly and nervously, forestalling objections she thought he would make, "that teaching isn't want you thought you would do… it's not the kind of life you envisioned for yourself… but doesn't that just mean that the happiness you might get from it is beyond even _your_ imagination?"

Finished, she blinks at him, looking wary of his reaction to her words. For his part, Thomas does not know what to say. It is a laughable thing, that his student of fourteen days would tell him to give up and accept his lot in life, as if he were doomed to never create another film…

…but that wasn't what she was saying at all, because she had only advised him to be happy with what he was doing now.

He hears her voice again, drawing him out of his thoughts. "Professor Hunt?"

"Yes, Marie Claire?"

After which Thomas takes a breath, because he knows that whatever she is about to say will be profound; something he'll remember for the rest of his life…

…and his student made a face, saying, "Are waltzes supposed to be this long? Shouldn't we have stopped dancing, like, ten minutes ago?"

Blinking stupidly, he said, "You're right."

* * *

A few minutes later, the waltz finally ended, to the relief of both the tired dancers and the exhausted orchestra. With no more words exchanged between them, Thomas gave Marie Claire a bow and she curtsied in return, mirroring the actions of their fellow dancers. After a nod from him and a smile from her, they went their separate ways.

As the orchestra – and Thomas, when he made the inquiry – found out, certain pages of their musical scores had been photocopied several times, before seamlessly being included in with the rest, and so the waltz that should have been quite short had ended up very long due to sheer repetition.

While the other attendees ate, drank, and were merry, Thomas, fulfilling his duty as a professor chaperone, would spend most of the night trying to look for the idiot who had played the prank on the orchestra.

And Marie Claire had wondered why he didn't like the Fairy Kingdom Formal.

* * *

Hours later, Thomas had still not found the culprit, but it hardly mattered anymore since the orchestra had just finished playing their last song. The last few notes from their instruments died down as he heard Aria Sheridan make an announcement.

"Everybody!" she squealed, excited to see everybody gathered there, "it's time for the event you've all been waiting for – the world premiere of Lisa Mermaid's-" her eyes widened, "uh, I mean, Lisa _Valentine's_ new single, Breakable! We'll be starting in a few minutes, so please make your way to the outdoor stage in the middle of the park!"

Suddenly, it seemed that the whole crowd thought that they simply had to get outside immediately to watch Lisa Valentine – elves and knights and wizards and all sorts of fairy tale characters – and many non-fairy tale characters as well – rushed for the exit, eager to be the ones to get the best spots in the park to listen to the newly-enrolled pop star. Thomas tried to stay on his feet, but a particularly large ogre pushed him forwards in his hurry to leave the ballroom – when Thomas glared at his back, the ogre turned and gave a sincerely repentant wave – and he only just managed to avoid being knocked over. After that, Thomas decided to stay by one of the ballroom walls until the crowd had advanced towards the park.

A couple of minutes later, he deemed it safe enough to leave the ballroom without being trampled. After borrowing a Fairy Kingdom Theme Park umbrella from one of the staff in case of rain, he walked to the outdoor stage at a leisurely pace, following the excited screams of Lisa Valentine's fans.

When he reached them ten minutes later, he could hear an almost deafening voice come from the large loudspeakers that were strategically placed throughout the audience area of the outdoor concert.

 _"Yeah, yeah, yeah! Are you all having fun tonight!?"_

In response, the crowd roared back at the DJ, and from their loud yells and stamping feet, Thomas surmised that yes, the crowd _was_ having fun tonight. Masses of people were pressed up against each other as the DJ hyped them up even further, playing an electronic dance track that soon had the more daring audience members to break out into complicated moves that, to Thomas, looked like their flailing limbs were in pain, but the whistles their cohorts sent their way suggested that they were impressed with their friends' graceless, laughably pathetic movements.

He turned away from a particularly cringe-worthy display of lack of dancing talent, and looked to his right – only to regret it as a rowdy young woman ran up the right side of the stage, screamed something unintelligible, and spread her arms wide as she threw herself into the crowd.

The young woman was being pulled by different members of the audience, most of them partying just as wildly as she was, and some of them were even very famous celebrities. As Thomas watched, a pair of morons decided to follow the first moron's example, except that they threw themselves into the crowd backwards.

Eager hands caught the two who had just jumped from the stage, and they were being pushed and pulled by the crowd. The two friends were beside each other as they moved horizontally through the crowd and their heads would occasionally knock together, and he noticed that these head knocked prompted grimaces of pain they tried to hide from peers.

All of a sudden, confetti burst out from confetti canons that he just noticed were beside the several loudspeakers that were in the park, and as confetti rained on the crowd, Thomas decided that professor chaperone or not, he was entitled to his own sanity, and he turned his back on the rowdy festivities and looked for a quiet place to think.

Now away from the crowd, he takes the time to appreciate the beauty of the rest of the park at night. The leaves on the trees are quiet as they sit on their branches, resting from the days' work or perhaps trying to tune out the partiers Thomas himself had extricated himself from. _A small dirt path to his far right caught his eye and Thomas wanted to go there,_ but he chose to look at the trees some more as he noticed that most of the trees in the area were low-hanging, sturdy trees perfect for children to climb, and _the small dirt path caught Thomas' eye again and he wanted to go there,_ and Thomas wondered if children were actually invited to climb these trees when the theme park was in session. He supposed they were, as the happiness of children was very important to the park's founder, and as he thought of this, _the small dirt path caught Thomas' eye again and he wanted to go there_ – and wondering what this strange compulsion about this dirt path meant, but not alarmed enough to resist whatever it was, he decided to finally go and walk down the dirt path and have it be done and over with.

As he started on the short path, he belatedly remembered that it was the path that led from the park to the rides as he faintly Lisa Valentine tell the crowd that she hoped they liked her brand new single. The song's harsh, thumping instruments started up as she began to sing.

 _"You think I'm just a breakable little girl… living in a breakable little world… But someday, I'll BREAAAAAAK FREEEEEE!"_

If shattered glass could somehow sound like a human voice, it would be exactly like that – thought it was very good, technically proficient shattered glass. As Thomas walked along the path, he ducked under the some low-hanging branches, using his umbrella to make sure there were no hidden logs he could stumble over as he walked onwards…

…and stopped when he saw Marie Claire stumble out of a ride just a few feet ahead of him. He thought he could hear her start to talk to herself, but he couldn't get the distinct words because at that moment, a loud clap of thunder crashed above them, a flash of lightning flared in the sky, and all of a sudden, rain started to pour, staying a drizzle for all of two seconds before progressing to heavy rain that would have Thomas soaked unless he immediately opened his umbrella…

…but instead, he walked towards his student, ignoring the rain that was starting to soak through his suit as he came closer to his shivering, unhappy student. He could hear her teeth chattering as she managed to say, "S-s-so cold…" while hugging herself with her arms as she tried to make herself warm – and failed miserably.

Now right behind her, Thomas reached out and tapped Marie Claire on the shoulder.

* * *

She turned… and looked shocked upon seeing who was there with her.

"Hunt?"

Strangely enough, Thomas observes that seeing him there seems to relax her somehow. The tension in her shoulders falls away as she smiles at him. "Shouldn't you be out there, preventing heinous, university-embarrassing acts from being committed by your beloved students? What are you doing out here?"

He rolled her eyes at her attempt at humor. As the rain poured, he told her, "To preserve my sanity, I felt that I needed to take a break from supervising your wonderful peers…" and he indicated the distant crowd with a small gesture of his head before continuing, "when I felt compelled to walk down this path. A moment later, you stumbled out of that ride."

This was not the best time to be going on theme park rides, especially without any maintenance staff about, and he ought to have scolded her for her disregard for her own safety…

…but he recalled how sad and lonely she had seemed, cold and shivering without an umbrella or even a raincoat, and his heart went out to his student. "Are you okay, Marie Claire?"

She gave him a small, pleased smile. "I'm fine… now."

Seeing her alright reassures something in him; and he feels good that his presence has warded off the loneliness she seemed to feel only moments ago. Irrationally, he wants to protect her even further, and because university professors ought to protect their students' health if they could, he opens his umbrella and holds it over her to prevent her from getting soaked any further – and she beams at him as she thanks him, and he feels warm despite the cold rain and he doesn't know why.

He tells her it's nothing, but her response…

"It's not nothing. It's you being nice. Maybe that's nothing to you, but it means something to me."

…irritates him to no end. Does she think he is some sort of ill-mannered buffoon who wouldn't even have the decency to shelter somebody with his umbrella?

"I would do this for any student caught in the rain," he grumbles at her, holding the umbrella steady to ensure that she is fully protected.

"You just keep telling yourself that," she teases him, still wearing that small smile of hers.

He does not know what to say to that, but Lisa Valentine's distant singing provides Marie Claire with a change of topic. Sighing wistfully, she says, "I know Lisa worked really hard to get her single ready for the Fairy Kingdom Formal. It's too bad we can't listen to her music up-close."

Thomas looks at her. Little drops of rain are clinging onto her hair like tiny crystals, and the rain has washed out her make-up, leaving her looking as fresh and alive as a sunflower turning its head to greet the rising sun. The delicate beadwork of her dress looked polished in the rain; her golden dress shimmered beautifully, making its fairy owner glow with an ethereal loveliness that a man could surely behold only once in a lifetime, and he suddenly feels as if he and Marie Claire are unbearably apart. Almost against his will, he holds his hand out to her.

His student is understandably confused. "What are you doing?"

What _is_ he doing? He does not know, but he also does not want to withdraw his hand…

…and grasping a plausible excuse, he says, pretending to be annoyed and indifferent, "Do you want to dance, or not?"

"Yes!" she answers instantly, beaming at him. Has her happiness always looked as bright as the sun? Thomas doesn't know. He also doesn't know why he feels a tingle up his spine when they touch; doesn't know why wrapping his arm around her waist to draw her close to him _feels right…_

…and he starts to pull away, because he is horrified at his own thoughts…

…but he feels Marie Claire emit a low hum of contentment as she wraps her soft arms around his neck and they sway to the notes of Lisa Valentine's song and the melody of raindrops, and Thomas is acutely aware of the short distance between Marie Claire's kissable shoulders and his own lips…

…and he feels her shift just a little, so that she can look into his eyes while still remain in his embrace.

"Thank you, Thomas," she says softly. "You've really made my night magical." And she reached up and gave him a small, chaste kiss on the cheek.

Surprised by the gesture, he blurts out, "You're welcome."

He knows that he ought to protest, since students were definitely not supposed to call professors by their first names, or kiss them on the cheek…

…but then, professors weren't supposed to invite their students to dance under an umbrella in the rain, so he lets it go, and they continue to dance.

Moments later, they both hear a clock in the distance strike midnight…

* * *

…and only a few seconds after that, a loud sound made Marie Claire jump in surprise. "What was that?"

They broke apart to see themselves surrounded by paparazzi holding up cameras, notepads, and their own umbrellas, looking eagerly in their direction.

"Looks like they found us," his student observed.

"They were most likely looking for you," he replied, "so it was only a matter of time before they tracked you down. Earlier this evening, I overheard a few of them talking. You were the 'One to Watch' the moment you arrived." He rolled his eyes. "Even though that literally means nothing."

That made her laugh, and after giving him a smile and a small wave goodbye – which Thomas thought was wise, as he had no idea what to say to her after the strange evening they had shared – she led the paparazzi, who were shouting questions at her, away from him. They followed her like eager puppies, one even offering her his umbrella, which she declined politely.

Several feet away, she stopped, and they surrounded her, hoping she would now tell them things about herself, but she declined to answer any of their questions.

"Thanks for thinking of me, everyone. I'd love to answer your questions… another time. For now, I don't want the magic of tonight to be ruined by an interview."

After giving the paparazzi a smile, she turned and walked away, the rain making her dress shimmer like the stars.

* * *

As he watched Marie Claire daintily walk towards the castle, her golden dress and ethereal presence almost making it seem like she should be leaving behind a trail of magical fairy dust…

…Thomas wondered why, despite the ongoing rain, he could only think of their conversation in the ballroom where she told him to open his heart to his second love.

* * *

After driving himself home and changing into comfortable clothes, Thomas sat at his desk and opened his journal, reading the last line of entry he had written the previous night.

 _ **"Once again, Marie Claire has proven to be both my most promising student and my most frustrating."**_

Carefully, as if hiding a great secret, he added to the journal entry.

 _ **"There's something else too, but I dare not even write about it. Not yet. Too soon."**_

* * *

(End of Chapter Fifteen.) (09/07/16.)

* * *

 **01\. Canon compliance:**

The HWU quests that took place in this chapter were Enemy Lines (Level 10); Fairy Kingdom Formal (Day 01 of 01) (Part II of II); and Diva and Conquer (Day 03 of 07).

* * *

 **02\. A tiny request:**

Thank you for reading my fanfic! :D If you've read this far, I hope you'll consider taking an extra minute to leave a review for Chapter Fifteen ("Fairy Waltz")? :D Reviews really mean a lot to me as a fanfiction writer because I get to hear your thoughts on something I worked really hard on ^_^ Even if it's the year 2075 or something, I would love to hear your thoughts on this chapter! :D

* * *

 **03\. Two interesting HWU things:  
**

One, the HWU online television series! :D Did you know that a fellow HWU fan, Zoe (her username on Tumblr is "dizzyclueless"), is diligently working on HWU: The Series? It's a fan-made online television series based on Thomas Hunt and other characters from Hollywood U! ^_^ (At the moment, I'm just a very enthusiastic supporter... but I would LOVE to be involved in HWU: The Series someday! :D) You can find out more about this AMAZING television project on Tumblr (their official Tumblr blog is "hwutheseries"). I just LOVE how Pixelberry and Hollywood U have inspired SO many of us fans! ^_^

And two, my second HWU fanfic! :D If you're interested in reading Marie Claire's perspective of this chapter (Chapter Fifteen), then I encourage you to read "NYTMC 2: Marie Claire's Interlude" ^_^ Here's the summary: _"(Part two of the NYTMC series.) (Midquel.) How did Marie Claire Hart fall in love with her most dashing, yet most cantankerous, professor? A retelling of my MC/Hunt fanfic "NYTMC 1: Not Your Typical Meet-Cute" from Marie Claire's perspective, in 100-word drabbles."_


	16. Omake 01

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Hollywood U. This amazing game belongs to Pixelberry! :)

* * *

Chapter Sixteen: Omake 01

* * *

 **Thomas found himself attempting to frantically send Marie Claire a message.** _ **Don't choose the nachos… You must not… choose… the nachos…**_

 **After a second, Marie Claire looked up, her brows furrowed.**

 **Shocked, Thomas barely stopped his jaw from dropping.**

 _ **There was no way that should have worked…**_

 **Still, relieved that his student would look dignified in front of the clients, since she now probably wasn't planning on ordering** _ **nachos,**_ **of all things, he was about to smile when he heard Marie Claire ask the waiter, "Do you have any onion rings or chicken nuggets?"**

 **Thomas closed his eyes in dismay.**

* * *

(End of Chapter Sixteen.) (13/08/16.)

* * *

 **01\. Canon compliance:**

This is a bonus/omake drabble that is **not compliant** with the rest of this fanfic :P It is exactly one hundred words :) And this is here partly to serve as a marker between the first character arc and the second character arc :) And about this drabble, a guest reviewer wrote, "It would be so funny if Hunt practiced sending Marie-Claire telepathic messages during class and she looked up, confused," and the idea for this drabble was born :D

* * *

 **02\. A tiny request:**

Thank you for reading my fanfic! :D If you've read this far, I hope you'll consider taking an extra minute to leave a review for Chapter Sixteen ("Omake 01")? :D Reviews really mean a lot to me as a fanfiction writer because I get to hear your thoughts on something I worked really hard on ^_^ Even if it's the year 2075 or something, I would love to hear your thoughts on this chapter! :D


	17. Day 15 (M): Brain Talk (Levels 10-11)

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Hollywood U. This amazing game belongs to Pixelberry! :)**

* * *

 **My responses to your reviews:**

69\. (11/08/16) MiraMaria: Glad you liked this chapter! Don't you think that the music really fits their dance in the ballroom? :D It DID take some time to coordinate everything so that all the quests and the order they came in made sense, so I'm happy you saw that! :) I'm glad you want me to write about five hundred days! I don't quite know if that will be possible, haha, but it's good to know that there's an audience if I manage to keep going for that long! And it looks like there are a few quests that you want to see in my fanfic... keep on reading, and maybe one of those will pop up sometime! :P

68\. (11/08/16): MosesChan: Hee hee, I'll take that as a compliment! :D

67\. (02/08/16) Andromeda: Hello! :) Thank you so much for your very kind words! I was very interested in what you said about what you think the ending of my fanfic will be like, and from what you wrote, it looks like you have high expectations! :D This almost makes me wish that I could give some sort of hint about my ending, but I believe it will be more special and memorable if it comes as a complete surprise to everybody reading my fanfic. Thank you for being so encouraging – I know that this fanfic is a little different from other MC/Hunt fanfics because it doesn't feature other people's favorite characters (Addison, Ethan, Chris, etc) as often, so they might prefer my fanfic to be slightly different, but I will take your advice and write according to my own style and inclinations :) Thanks again! :) :)

66\. (31/07/16) iterica: Hmm... that may be true in other universities, but in Thomas and Marie Claire's situation, Thomas knew that it was partly his fault, since he practically dared her to do it XD And that's a great observation – Marie Claire's cheeky remarks keep her visible to Thomas, while at the same time not making it look like she's purposefully seeking out his attention :) Thank you for your review! :)

65\. (12/07/16) Guest: Thanks for reading! If you check my author's notes at the end of the chapter, you can see when the next chapter will be released :)

64\. (12/07/16) Guest: The nachos scene made me laugh, too! :D You caught me out on Thomas being antisocial – that's partly because keeping him in-character is already challenging for me, so introducing new characters and having him interact with them... I'm a bit scared XD But at least one other notable character will be appearing sometime in the future, so Thomas will be a bit more social when that character arrives. (Well, maybe :P) Thank you very much for your encouraging words! :) And Mischief will be making her next appearance in the chapter that I will be posting on my twenty-seventh birthday, which will be sometime in September :D

63\. (12/07/16) Guest: That would be really funny! :D

62\. (12/07/16) Ioana: It looks like you have a lot of HWU fanfic ideas! :P I'm sorry to hear that you feel that way about the spark sphere chapter! :) I can see what you mean – as the author, it wasn't very exciting to write most of that chapter! But it turned out to be one of my favorites because all that detailed hard work showed how much Thomas was willing to do for his students – I don't think the effect would have been the same if I just had the last scene there :) Thanks for your review! :)

61\. (12/07/16) Ioana: I am happy that you love this story so much; thank you! :)

60\. (10/07/16) gold013: You're very welcome! :) After reading your review, I looked at Chapter Fourteen and I did see what you mean about the large blocks of text. While they were long paragraphs on purpose to show Thomas' suddenly overwhelming observations and feelings, I do see how the differences between the paragraph word counts can be distracting for the reader and interfere with the flow of the writing. Thanks for pointing this out to me; it helps! :) :)

59\. (09/07/16) Vanessa: Thank you very much! :) No need to wait any longer... August is here! :D

58\. (09/07/16) Rina-The-Fangirl: I'm glad you were on board with the use of present tense in the last chapter! :) I've been trying to develop Thomas' character in a gradual, believable way, so I'm happy that he doesn't seem unrealistic to you! :) Regarding your comment about timing, I'll use Fear 101 as an example :D Because Fear 101 is available as a quest in the game in October, it is implied to the players that this quest, in the game, takes place around October 31 (Halloween). However, because the month of October is not explicitly stated in canon – the words "October" and "Halloween" don't appear in the text – I've been able to conclude that, technically speaking, the Fear 101 quest could have taken place anytime during the year :D Thank you for your comments about my writing! :)

* * *

 **Chapter Seventeen: Day 15 (Monday) – Brain Talk (Levels 10-11.1)**

* * *

On Monday morning, as Thomas opened the door and walked inside one of Hollywood U's largest conference rooms, he noticed that a couple of actors were already there, and more filed in during the ten minutes he waited until their official meeting time could begin. Once everybody was settled, he spoke.

"Greetings to you all. I am Professor Thomas Hunt, and I am the one who e-mailed your agent to hire you."

 _I have no idea how one single agent can manage all of you, but that's his problem, I suppose._

"Your performance will be tomorrow night, where you will be dressed as zombies to scare my students. The setting will be an old, decrepit house on campus as well as an abandoned graveyard in front of it."

Before he could continue, a man in a blue shirt interrupted him. "You have a graveyard on your campus? Creepy!"

Thomas shook his head. "The graveyard is not a real graveyard – I will be placing fake tombstones in front of the house later today."

"Fake tombstones? What, you covered them in tinfoil, or something?" asked a young woman with a gold hoop nosering on the left side of her nose.

"No," he said, "I covered foam with cement to make them look realistic."

An lady with an old-fashioned beehive hairstyle nodded. "I've done that too. That's more realistic than tinfoil."

"Hey, are you dissing tinfoil?!" exclaimed a young man with a spiky hairdo. "We used tinfoil tombstones when I was a kid, and we grew up okay!"

"What do your foil tombstones have to do with how your grew up?" asked a baffled man whose hair was dyed blue on the left side and yellow on the right side.

"Enough!" Thomas said loudly, and they all fell silent.

 _These are the professional actors that agent sent me?!_

He cleared his throat. "To continue, the plan will be for you, the zombies, to hide outside the house. Once my students are close to the front door, one of you will slowly walk forward and drag off one of them, presumable to turn them into a fellow zombie."

"Oooh, like in the horror movies, where the bad guy kills one of the good guys off-screen?" said Gold Hoop Nosering.

Nodding, he replied, "Yes, exactly like that. Afterwards, all of you will appear and slowly advance towards the house, forcing them to enter the house for protection."

Spiky Hairdo piped up, "But that would be the worst thing to do! They'd be stupid to willingly trap themselves in an enclosed space! Your students have to be smarter than that!"

Thomas paused, thinking of the student who had used a tank in her production without checking on the brakes. _No, they're really not. They should be, and I want them to be... but no._

Out loud, he said, "That won't be an issue."

Using hand gestures, he explained the layout of the house and how to surround it for maximum effect. He also told them to move faster than usual at some points, but very slowly at others, in order to build him his students' panic. "The point of this lesson is to teach them fear, and they won't be afraid if they see you laughing at their scared reactions. The most important thing," he stressed, "is for you to stay in-character."

They all nodded. Thomas opened his mouth, about to dismiss them for the day, when he heard somebody speak.

"But what _is_ my character? Who am I supposed to be?" asked Blue Shirt. "What's my motivation?"

"Your motivation is that you want to hunt down my living students," replied Thomas. "Now, if nobody else has any-"

"I kind of see what he means," said Gold Hoop Nosering thoughtfully. "Who was my character when she was still alive? Before she died and turned into a zombie?"

Beehive Lady interjected, "Not to mention, I don't think my character would want to hunt humans anyway. Why would she? What would hunting humans do for her?"

"Well," said Dyed Hair, shifting his chair so that he was facing Beehive Lady, "zombies usually want people for their brains. That's why they hunt humans."

"But my character was a scientist before she died!" she protested. "She has enough brains of her own!"

 _Oh, good,_ Thomas thought, relieved. _Now, Dyed Hair will tell Beehive Lady that zombies eat brains, she'll understand, and I can go prepare the rest of the haunted hou-_

Dyed Hair tilted his head. "Wait... if your character was a scientist, then she should have enough of her own brains! Why would she need somebody else's brains?"

 _Wait... what?_

"Right? Right?" said Beehive Lady, nodding her head furiously, her hair somehow staying stiff as she did so.

Gold Hoop Nosering's eyes widened. "Guys, I think with stumbled across something here! How has nobody ever thought of this before?"

"People have always known that zombies want brains. As humans, it's easier to follow instead of to think for oneself," said Blue Shirt sagely. "If there were more free thinkers on this earth, we would have asked this question, and many others, long ago."

Thomas stared at all of them in disbelief. _What are they talking about?!_

"If we had bothered to ask more questions, imagine what civilization could be like now," said Beehive Lady wistfully. "Small, unimportant questions like this can lead to innovation that could revitalize the human race. By knowing ourselves, we can know the world."

"But even this question isn't unimportant," said Gold Hoop Nosering thoughtfully. "Zombies were people once, right?"

Blue Shirt, Beehive Lady, Spiky Hairdo, and Dyed Hair, and all the actors in the room who had stayed silent so far nodded.

 _Sure,_ this _they know._

"Then whatever the motivations of zombies are, they lie within the core of humanity. What drives them to get brains at all cost?"

"Maybe it's knowledge," said Beehive Lady. "My character was a scientist when she was alive. Even if her brains were enough for her profession, she could want more to become even smarter?"

Gold Hoop Nosering replied, "That may be true for your character, but not everybody was a scientist when they were alive. What about them?"

"I... I don't know..." said Beehive Lady dejectedly, slumping down in her seat.

"What if it's just to collect brains?" said Spiky Hairdo. "People collect stamps and coins and baseball cards, but zombies don't have jobs, so they can't earn money to buy those things and collect them. But they can collect brains from just about anybody. Maybe some types of brains are rarer than others?"

"So it could be that they simply look at brain collecting as a recreational activity?" asked Gold Hoop Nosering. "Interesting..."

"Hey, that would also explain why they move so slowly!" exclaimed Blue Shirt triumphantly. "Because they just collect brains for fun, they're not in a rush and they don't want to tire themselves out by chasing humans!"

Murmurs of agreement filled the room.

 _Oh, this is ridiculous... I'm going to put an end to this..._

"Or maybe," Thomas said sarcastically, causing some of them to start, as if they had forgotten he was even there, "zombies move slowly because they're dead, and they want brains because they eat brains?"

They all looked at him for a moment, considering his words.

 _There. Now, this will soon be over, and I can go to the toy store to pick up some plastic weapons for the haunted house._

Gold Hoop Nosering and Beehive Lady shook their heads, and Blue Shirt made a disbelieving noise. "That's, um, a good guess, Professor Hunt," he said in a doubtful voice that showed that he thought Thomas' statement was most certainly not a good guess, "but it doesn't make any sense at all. Have you ever seen a dead person eat? Dead people don't eat, and zombies are dead people, therefore, zombies don't eat."

As he finished, he raised his eyebrow, looking at Thomas as if wondering how such an unintelligent person ever became a professor at a prestigious university when he didn't even know basic anatomy.

Thomas opened his mouth to retort, but before he could say anything, Dyed Hair said, "Do you know what I think it is?"

Blue Shirt, Beehive Lady, Spiky Hairdo, and Gold Hoop Nosering all turned to give him their full attention.

Dyed Hair continued, "I think that what is at the root of it all is avarice. Humans have the intrinsic need to obtain what others already have, and one's satisfaction at possessing something is magnified when what you possess is something that somebody else does _not_ have."

"I see..." nodded Gold Hoop Nosering, "so you're saying that by taking a brain from a living human, a zombie feels joy because they have deprived somebody else of something they once had?"

"Exactly!" said Dyed Hair, happy that she had gotten his point. "It isn't just having a brain that makes a zombie feel fulfilled – the very act of taking it from somebody else is also satisfying, because it shows a zombie's power."

"But what kind of power does a zombie have?" asked Beehive Lady.

Dyed Hair replied, "They have great power because zombies represent death itself. They're slow, but relentless. They're ever-present, always lurking nearby, just waiting for you to make a fatal mistake."

"Yes," agreed Gold Hoop Nosering, "they are frightening to look upon, but the _true_ fear is that you'll be forced into a situation from which there is _no escape._ "

Startled, Thomas thought, _Hmm... That would actually be a pretty good introduction to my Fear 101 lesson..._

Looking from side to side to make sure nobody was closely observing his movements, he reached for the notepad and pen on the desk in front of him and started to write down what he had just heard.

" ** _Zombies represent death itself. They're slow, but relentless. They're ever-present, always lurking nearby..."_**

* * *

After the meeting with the actors, which took much more time than Thomas had anticipated, he picked up some things from his car before going to the Hollywood U design lab, dragging behind him a wagon loaded with materials and equipment for his Fear 101 class that he had picked up at a do-it-yourself store after showing up there right as the store opened. After setting the lighter things on a few tables, he went to the door and locked it, knowing that due to the Fairy Kingdom Formal – and no doubt their painful hangovers – most students would likely still be asleep, even if it was already almost time for lunch.

Students didn't know it, but professors at Hollywood U actually considered the day after the Fairy Kingdom Form to be an unofficial free day – in no small part due to the fact that professors themselves sometimes needed to recover from painful hangovers as well. Luckily, Thomas had no such affliction – otherwise, the loud noises of the equipment he was planning to use today would exacerbate a hangover-induced headache to unbearable proportions.

 _I hope Andrew has a massive headache right now,_ he thought evilly. _It would serve him right for making me chaperone last night!_

After laying out on one of the tables a sheet of foam as thick as length of his hand, Thomas marked out a tombstone shape on the foam using a black marker before plugging in a drill and activated it on the lowest setting. He proceeded to carefully carve out a foam tombstone, and after he was done, he placed the tombstone in one side of the room, the excess foam in another side, and repeated everything until he had a good amount of tombstone-shaped foam pieces stacked up against the wall.

He protected a table with old newspaper and secured the sides with tape before picking up one foam tombstone and an aerosol can, one of several he had purchased at the do-it-yourself store Covering the foam tombstone didn't take much time at all, and after a few minutes, it was almost covered completely, the foam being shielded by the spray cement, which would soon solidify and make the fake tombstone look realistic. The hard outer shell was necessary to the soft interior. Left unchecked, left unprotected, the interior would be vulnerable, and Thomas did not want any weaknesses. The hard, unyielding exterior was necessary.

* * *

(End of Chapter Seventeen.) (13/08/16.)

* * *

 **01\. Canon compliance:**

The HWU quests that took place in this chapter were Enemy Lines (Level 10); Her Steel Heart (Level 11.1); and Diva and Conquer (Day 04 of 07).

* * *

 **02\. A tiny request:**

Thank you for reading my fanfic! :D If you've read this far, I hope you'll consider taking an extra minute to leave a review for Chapter Seventeen ("Brain Talk")? :D Reviews really mean a lot to me as a fanfiction writer because I get to hear your thoughts on something I worked really hard on ^_^ Even if it's the year 2075 or something, I would love to hear your thoughts on this chapter! :D

* * *

 **03\. Two interesting HWU things:  
**

One, the HWU online television series! :D Did you know that a fellow HWU fan, Zoe (her username on Tumblr is "dizzyclueless"), is diligently working on HWU: The Series? It's a fan-made online television series based on Thomas Hunt and other characters from Hollywood U! ^_^ (At the moment, I'm just a very enthusiastic supporter... but I would LOVE to be involved in HWU: The Series someday! :D) You can find out more about this AMAZING television project on Tumblr (their official Tumblr blog is "hwutheseries"). I just LOVE how Pixelberry and Hollywood U have inspired SO many of us fans! ^_^

And two, my second HWU fanfic! :D If you're interested in reading Marie Claire's perspective of this chapter (Chapter Seventeen), then I encourage you to read "NYTMC 2: Marie Claire's Interlude" ^_^ Here's the summary: _"(Part two of the NYTMC series.) (Midquel.) How did Marie Claire Hart fall in love with her most dashing, yet most cantankerous, professor? A retelling of my MC/Hunt fanfic "NYTMC 1: Not Your Typical Meet-Cute" from Marie Claire's perspective, in 100-word drabbles."_


	18. Day 16a (T): Preparing Fear (Level 11)

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Hollywood U. This amazing game belongs to Pixelberry! :)**

* * *

 **My responses to your reviews:**

73\. (14/08/16) Rina-The-Fangirl: Glad you liked both of them! :) Thomas was frustrated in the previous chapter... and he'll be frustrated in this one, too! But not as much, I think :D (And, GO Team Mystic! :P)

72\. (14/08/16) MiraMaria: Aww, thanks! :D Thomas isn't thinking of her _too_ much... but he _is_ thinking of her just a little bit :P (And he sure suffered because of those actors! XD)

71\. (14/08/16) MiraMaria: Glad you liked it! :)

70\. (13/08/16) Guest: No need to wait any longer... the newest chapter is here! :D

* * *

 **Chapter Eighteen: Day 16a (Tuesday) – Preparing Fear (Levels 11.1-11.2)**

* * *

The sun had barely peeked out of the clouds when Thomas parked his car in the university parking lot. It was early in the morning – too early for reasonable people to be up and about, but Thomas was on a mission. He needed to make the house on the edge of the campus – a stately, three-story house that was normally used by students for class projects that required such a location – look like a haunted house before the night's lesson.

Wagon in hand, he made his way to his office, where he saw several foam tombstones covered in cement leaving against two of the walls. He was not sure he would need all of them – for some reason, he had gone overboard in cutting the foam and spraying the cement over it, as if he had some underlying purpose for paying such close attention to what he was doing – but they would be of no use to him in his office. Even if there were too many of them, he would still put them to good use by creating a fake cemetery outside the old mansion.

As he started to pick up the tombstones to place them on his wagon, he wondered if his students had been surprised by the e-mail he had sent them yesterday. While the previous schedule he sent over the weekend told them to prepare for class on Tuesday morning, he, last night, canceled that class, telling them to instead go to the front of the mansion on Tuesday evening. He had sent the e-mail while waiting for the spray cement on the tombstones to dry. As his Fear 101 lesson was not mentioned, they would have no idea what was in store, meaning that their reactions tonight would be genuine ones.

After his wagon was full and there were only a couple or so tombstones that would not fit no matter how hard he tried, he put a small bag on top of the tombstones before wheeling his wagon out of his office and locking the door.

The walk to the mansion was somewhat of a long one, made worse by the feeling of childishness that he couldn't shake because he, a tenured professor, was dragging a bright red wagon across a university campus, but he finally reached the house with no problems.

Several feet away from the house, he looked at the front yard critically.

 _How should I arrange these tombstones? Should they be closer together, or further apart? What if they don't look realistic or corroded enough? Oh, no... I forgot to put names on them!_

Eyes widening, he slowly turned his gaze from the grass in the front yard to the foam tombstones inside his red wagon.

 _No! I do_ not _have time for this!_

While Thomas was all for putting one's best effort into details, he unfortunately truly did not have enough time to stop what he was doing and etch names and dates into cement-covered foam tombstones. He had to prioritize, and though a part of him protested, he nevertheless picked up the first tombstone, made a deep groove in the ground, and stuck it in there. He did the same for the others, arranging them so that they were far enough apart to look like a realistic graveyard.

After he was finished, he entered the mansion, taking the only remaining item in his wagon, a small bag, with him. Once inside the door, he took five light bulbs out of the bag. He had originally bought four low-voltage yesterday evening light bulbs to make the lighting inside the mansion be as least helpful to his students as possible, but when he arrived home, he noticed that the light bulb of one of his floor lamps was flickering, and he decided that it would create an eerie effect if used in the right setting.

Knowing that he would be changing light bulbs today, he had left a stepladder under the stairs when he had checked on the house the previous day after e-mailing his students. He went to four pre-chosen locations and swapped the high-voltage light bulbs for the low-voltage ones he bought, remembering to use the stepladder extremely carefully because he had nobody with him to hold it steady.

After that he installed the fifth light bulb, the one that flickered, close to the window he had boarded up yesterday with wooden planks and rusty nails to make the house look even more forbidding. When all five light bulbs were in place, he turned on the lights that used them on the different floors of the house.

 _Not bad,_ Thomas thought. _These will provide the light they need to see the zombies and fear them even more, but not so much light that they see through the farce and make this lesson moot._

Finally finished with his preparations for the house, he left the mansion and took his wagon back to his office, able to move much faster now that there were no more tombstones inside.

As he was about to take out his key to unlock the door, he noticed that there was a magazine on the floor.

 _That wasn't there before. It must have just been delivered._

He picked it up before unlocking his door and pulling his wagon through. Once he was inside, he positioned his wagon by his bookshelf before sitting down in his chair and taking a closer look at the magazine. A tiny photo in the table of contents caught his eye.

 _Is that who I think it is?_

Flipping to the page the photo indicated, Thomas read a short article about a performance that had taken place the previous night. While he was managing things for his Fear 101 lesson, his students had been-

 _Wait, if this article is like this, what are other people saying...?_

After hastily reading the scathing article, he turned on his laptop and accessed the file that had his students' social media websites. Choosing two students in particular, he opened their Twitter accounts in two separate tabs of his web browser and read the latest comments.

The sheer number of negative comments on both of their accounts made sending an e-mail to both of those necessary.

" ** _Please meet me in my office at your earliest convenience. P.S. That means now."_**

He then sat back to wait.

* * *

While waiting for his students, he remembered that he still had a few foam tombstones leaning against his wall. Since Hollywood U students lived on campus, they were bound to arrive fairly soon, and Thomas hurried to gather up the tombstones and place them in his closet, nestled under his expensive suits. With that finished, he went back to his seat, thinking about the article and the Twitter comments he had seen.

 _If I were still a university student, reading comments like those would have been difficult. It is always hard when people criticize work you have put effort into._

In a way, he could see what had prompted the comments – his students' appalling use of conflicting colors in their ensemble, and what the article had worded as "unconventional" music, had left an unflattering impression on the minds of their audience. But incidents like these were part of their training as film professionals – they had to know how to manage the public even when it didn't love them.

 _And judging from these comments, changing their minds will be a challenging task. And why would the public even change their minds when their first impression was that?!_

Irate, he picked up the magazine again to browse through other articles – articles which were not slamming his students into the ground – when he heard a knock on the door.

"Enter," Thomas said, continuing to read the magazine, trying not to think of what his students' performance must have been like.

"Professor Hunt!" exclaimed Dmitri Dalorrey, one of his male diva students. "Have you been doing something with your face? You're positively glowing with energy and life!"

Meanwhile, Marie Claire blinked at him, no doubt trying to see what Dmitri was talking about, and failing.

Rolling his eyes, Thomas replied, "This might have something to do with the fictitious glow you see on my person."

Without warning, he tossed his copy of L.A. Biweekly at Marie Claire, who barely caught it.

"Why are you throwing magazines at your students, Professor Hunt? What is this?" she asked, bewildered.

Sarcastically, he replied. "I only do so on very special occasions, Marie Claire. As for what it is, it is a magazine. It is a collection of printed pages meant for reading – if literacy is a concept you are familiar with."

They huddled over the magazine, looking at the front page, which had the picture of a famous psychological thriller movie star. Thomas impatiently told them to turn to the seventh page.

"Look, Dmitri!" Marie Claire said excitedly. "May Gordon wrote a review about your show last night!"

He grinned at her. "Our show, Marie Claire... I couldn't have done it without you! What did she say about our auras? Did they shine like glowing awesomeness?"

"Hmm..." Her eyes flew as she read the article, her original pleased expression eroding as she read more and more of the tabloid journalist's words. "A failure of the highest degree... Marie Claire's atrocious stage production was still preferable to Dmitri's howling and screeching that he falsely claimed was music... A nightmare onstage that was more of an explosion of absurd, distasteful fantasy than anything resembling any sort of performance..."

Dmitri wilted. "She said that about us? How... how could she...?"

"Yes, she said that about you!" said Thomas heatedly, incensed by his defeatist attitude. "When I told you that your assignment was to get attention, did you think that this is the sort of attention I wanted you to seek out? Do you think this is acceptable? Do you think I've ever gotten reviews like this, insulting my work and calling it unworthy? I want to hear your excuses for this, and they had better be good!"

Crossing her arms, Marie Claire replied, "May Gordon's a tabloid journalist. She'd call _anything_ horrible to get some attention! Just because she put down our performance doesn't mean that it was some kind of nightmare, like she said it was!"

"And what about others?" Thomas asked her snidely. "Do you think that all of these people were just blindly following what May Gordon had to say?"

He turned his laptop to face both of them. The screen was on Dmitri's Twitter page, where several angry comments had been tweeted in response to Dmitri's own tweet that announced their then-upcoming performance.

Dmitri was speechless. However, Marie Claire did not have that same problem.

"Don't look at those, Dmitri!" she said furiously, turning the laptop back to face Thomas. "You don't have to read insulting comments like that!"

 _What is she saying? Of course he does!_

"Dmitri _does_ have to read insulting comments like that, Marie Claire, because art doesn't exist in a vacuum! Your audience's reaction is one of the most important things about working in Hollywood. You should consider this a learning experience... though I have my doubts about whether or not you'll actually learn from this."

She opened her mouth to retort, but was interrupted by Dmitri's plaintive voice. "What can we do, Professor?"

"You can both get out of my sight," he said dismissively, pulling his laptop closer to him to look intently at the screen. When they saw that that was his last word on the matter, they left silently, not able to even look at each other after the bad news they had just received.

* * *

After Dmitri closed the door behind the two of them, Thomas let out a sigh.

 _While I do sympathize with their plight, it seems that they have completely missed what I was trying to teach them. Everybody gets reviews like that – I got many reviews like that in the beginning._

But then he shook his head. He couldn't think about the past right now. Part of his Fear 101 lesson involved his students fighting off zombies to ensure their survival. But since he, obviously, wouldn't arm them with real spears, swords, and maces, he had to get pretend weapons that they could use to fight off the zombie actors. And there was only one place he could think of to get them.

Thomas was going to the toy store.

* * *

(End of Chapter Eighteen.) (20/08/16.)

* * *

 **01\. Canon compliance:**

The HWU quests that took place in this chapter were Her Steel Heart (L11.1); Crash Landing (L11.2); and Diva and Conquer (Day 05 of 07).

* * *

 **02\. A tiny request:**

Thank you for reading my fanfic! :D If you've read this far, I hope you'll consider taking an extra minute to leave a review for Chapter Eighteen ("Preparing Fear")? :D Reviews really mean a lot to me as a fanfiction writer because I get to hear your thoughts on something I worked really hard on ^_^ Even if it's the year 2075 or something, I would love to hear your thoughts on this chapter! :D

* * *

 **03\. Two interesting HWU things:  
**

One, the HWU online television series! :D Did you know that a fellow HWU fan, Zoe (her username on Tumblr is "dizzyclueless"), is diligently working on HWU: The Series? It's a fan-made online television series based on Thomas Hunt and other characters from Hollywood U! ^_^ (At the moment, I'm just a very enthusiastic supporter... but I would LOVE to be involved in HWU: The Series someday! :D) You can find out more about this AMAZING television project on Tumblr (their official Tumblr blog is "hwutheseries"). I just LOVE how Pixelberry and Hollywood U have inspired SO many of us fans! ^_^

And two, my second HWU fanfic! :D If you're interested in reading Marie Claire's perspective of this chapter (Chapter Eighteen), then I encourage you to read "NYTMC 2: Marie Claire's Interlude" ^_^ Here's the summary: _"(Part two of the NYTMC series.) (Midquel.) How did Marie Claire Hart fall in love with her most dashing, yet most cantankerous, professor? A retelling of my MC/Hunt fanfic "NYTMC 1: Not Your Typical Meet-Cute" from Marie Claire's perspective, in 100-word drabbles."_


	19. Day 16b (T): Fighting Fear (Level 11)

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Hollywood U. This amazing game belongs to Pixelberry! :)**

* * *

 **My responses to your reviews:**

78\. (01/09/16) MiraMaria: I'm glad you liked this chapter! :D We're learning new things about Thomas as this story progresses... including how he feels about toy stores and scruffy magpie plushies :P

77\. (30/08/16) TheLogicalDreamerandWriter: That he does :P Thanks for reading! :)

76\. (29/08/16) Rina-The-Fangirl: Glad you liked it! :) Here is part of the Fear 101 quest, with more to come sooner than you think! :P

75\. (28/08/16) Guest (jinxyrock3000): When writing that chapter I tried to describe what Thomas' grumpy self would think of a toy store :D Thank you very much! :D

* * *

 **Chapter Nineteen: Day 16b (Tuesday) – Fighting Fear (Levels 11.1-11.2)**

* * *

 _Where is it? The woman at the information desk said it should be here somewhere..._

Inside one of the largest malls in Hollywood, Thomas' head constantly moved left and right as he attempted to locate the store he was looking for. He didn't have much time to spare before he had to get back, so his purchases would have to be quick – if he could find the place.

 _There it is!_

Closing one fist in determination, he steeled himself before entering the massive store filled with useless paraphernalia designed to waste the time of the young and impressionable. Trying to ignore the saccharine, redundant music playing over the speakers, he stopped after just crossing the threshold to look at the place.

Shelves upon shelves were filled with metal miniatures of things that already existed in daily life; one part of the place had unreliable plastic vehicles designed for humans incapable of qualifying for drivers' licenses; and one large bin in the middle had enlarged representations of various animals, their wide eyes almost grotesque in their cuteness as they seemed to follow the motions of every person who walked past them.

Thomas really didn't want to continue.

But for the sake of his Fear 101 lesson, he would bravely venture into this toy store.

* * *

Inside, he saw that the toys were sorted by franchise and, more loosely, by age group. Having gone through a childhood where he mostly preferred cameras and books over the toys other children played with, he cast puzzled glances at what corporations thought children ought to be playing with these days.

Walking past a display of little ponies with strange marks on their waists, he thought that it was quite progressive of parents to buy their small children toys that encouraged tattoos. Such toys would have been considered scandalous when he was younger, as tattoos were generally assumed to be for people who were old enough to drive and vote, but perhaps those little ponies espoused the values of maturity and responsibility, and of tattoos as a reward for children who adapted those character traits?

 _Who knows?_

After exploring the toy store for a few minutes, he spotted a rack of toy pole weapons out of the corner of his eye.

 _There!_

Pole weapons were, simply put, weapons which had sharp, pointy things at the end of long wooden sticks. The toy store had a surprising variety, though the labels for some of them had fallen off. He picked up the first toy pole weapon and inspected it. The large, curved blade at the end of the pole made it easy for Thomas to identify the weapon.

 _A scythe. Often shown in artistic representations of the personified aspect of death._

He ran his hand along the outer edge, wondering if it would make a good weapon for his lesson – then decided against it. While it would be handy in an actual battle, a darkened, pseudo-haunted mansion was a likely place for a panic-stricken student to poke somebody's eye out.

 _As if I have the time for that lawsuit._

After placing it back in the rack, he picked up a dangerous-looking weapon that had three ends. Reading the label, he saw that it was a poleaxe.

It was the first time Thomas had held a poleaxe in his hands, and he turned it over, looking at each of the three distinct parts of the fighting end of the weapon. The very tip had a sharpened – well, not really, considering it was made of plastic – point that looked like the upper half of a short sword. The upper left side had wide axe blade, and the upper left side had a rectangular ridged area with blunt, spike-like protrusions. In an actual battle, a three-step attack could stun, slice, and finally pierce an enemy.

 _This isn't right, either. I don't think they would be scared if they had a weapon as capable of causing great injury as this one._

He returned the weapon to its rightful place.

 _I need something that can be used against zombies in a darkened room, but isn't too dangerous..._

The third, and last, weapon looked promising. It was a spear that had a long, brown, plastic pole and a flimsy grey plastic tip. It was less likely to poke out an eye than the scythe, and wouldn't inspire creative battle moves like the poleaxe would.

 _This is a little plain, but they'll be able to use it quickly. Whoever uses this will have an easier time fighting the zombies. Just stick them with the pointy end._

Instead of returning it to its place on the rack, Thomas held on to the spear as he strolled away from the other toy pole weapons, thinking that perhaps there were other kinds of weapons at the other end of the store.

As he approached the wide space that served as the division between the first half and the second half of the toy store, his eyes settled on a small, grey bin that had a few sorry-looking stuffed animals.

Unlike the toys he had seen when he entered the store earlier, the stuffed toys in the grey bin were all slightly damaged in some way. A scraggly-looking orange stuffed cat had whiskers on only one side of its face, and beside it, a lean purple toy monkey had splotches of fur that somehow looked tangled. Partially hidden behind those two was a simple bird plushie that had only one eye.

But because he was there to buy toy weapons, and not toy animals, he ignored them in favor of looking for what he needed.

* * *

After finding out that they now made dolls for the descendants of Disney royalty and that they now sold food assembly toys with whipped cream that was not meant to be eaten – Thomas snorted when he saw those, as obviously children would try to eat their likely poisonous play concoctions anyway – he found another area of the store that had combat-oriented figurines and toys.

He stared for a few moments at, yet kept well away from, a complex toy that was a cross between a gigantic plastic brass knuckle and and a light saber collection. Apparently, the knuckle part had four different openings into which the light sabers could be placed in a variety of combinations, in effect making the light sabers the claws of one large hand.

 _An inelegant remake of an elegant weapon for a more civilized age._

Walking on, he picked up a sword with an extremely wide blade. At first, he thought that the size of the blade was what would make it a good weapon in a hypothetical battle, but he soon realized that the blade was actually the base for six different swords, depending on the removal of some pieces and the addition of others.

 _I think my students will be captured by the zombies before they could figure out how to use this... Why are toys these days so complicated?_

Searching for a weapon that did _not_ have a dozen different parts that required assembly, he saw something sticking out of a low shelf. After some rummaging, he managed to pull out a less complicated weapon – a trident. Attached to a golden pole was a curved light silver, almost white, trident head. The two outer points of the trident jutted upward, just three inches short of the middle portion, which looked like it had engravings of ancient runes in gold.

 _This somewhat reminds me of..._

Thomas shook his head, banishing stray thoughts of white GLass shoes and a glittering gold dress.

 _Well, at least this weapon doesn't need to be assembled. It'll do._

Picking up the gold and silver trident, he held it with the spear he had picked out earlier and looked around the store again. Realizing that he had yet to see the back of the store, he made his way to the wide middle aisle to avoid having to duck in and out of various shelves.

When he was in the middle area of the store, he once again saw ahead of him the grey bin of damaged toys ahead of him. He noticed that the half-whiskered stuffed cat was gone, thinking absently that it must have been a kind person who was willing to purchase an imperfect toy.

Because the stuffed cat was no longer in the bin, he had a better view of the bird plushie. He stopped in front of the bin and picked up the one-eyed bird, the fluorescent light overhead giving its eye a bit of a shine.

As he held it in one hand, Thomas noticed that what he assumed was an entirely black stuffed bird actually had spots of white in the middle of the wings and on the lower part of its stomach. When he checked under its right wing to look at the label, he noticed that the thread joining the bird's right wing to the rest of its body was stretched and slightly frayed, making the bird – rather, the magpie, according to the label – one who would be unable to fly.

 _But of course this thing cannot fly, as it is a stuffed bird. And I have better things to do than look at damaged stuffed animals._

Annoyed with himself, Thomas tossed the broken magpie into the bin and looked around, knowing that he needed to purchase one more toy weapon before he could leave.

Spotting some long and colorful items on the shelves close to the cashiers, he walked to that part of the store, seeing several foam weapons on display.

 _Perfect! These will be easy to use and they won't hurt much._

Knowing he didn't have a lot of time left before he had to return to the university, he quickly decided against a green sword and a yellow mace in favor of a large purple foam club. After picking it up and looking at the three weapons he had chosen, Thomas quickly walked to the cashier with the shortest line.

Hoping that the the three people in front of him would make their purchases without much fuss, he glanced around the store one last time for lack of anything better to do. As his gaze fell on a shelf of stuffed birds that looked quite angry, he couldn't help but think of the stuffed bird plushie that had only one eye.

 _What will happen to the toys that are not purchased?_

Perhaps they would be given to charities or other such organizations, but such actions required time that companies didn't want to waste. It was more likely that the toys would simply be thrown away...

...and not really knowing why he was doing it, he quickly left the line and jogged up to the grey bin, plucked out the damaged stuffed magpie, and carried it back, studiously avoiding thinking about what he had just done as he stood in line behind his fellow toy store customers holding three weapons and one scruffy bird.

* * *

Fifteen minutes later, Thomas got inside his car, placed the bag of toys on the floor of the passenger seat and, put his car key into the ignition.

After putting on his seat belt, he took the bird plushie out of the bag and put it on the passenger seat, not wanting it to get flattened after he had gone through the trouble of purchasing it.

The bird's one eye seemed to be looking at him, as if asking why he had given it a chance.

He said sternly to the bird, "Don't get any ideas. I only bought you because the purchase of material goods is vital to a competitive national economy."

The bird said nothing.

 _Well, of course the bird wasn't going to reply!_ Thomas berated himself.

Wanting to get back to the university as quickly as possible, he eased his car out of its parking space and drove to the parking exit, ignoring the small, ridiculous thought at the back of his mind that perhaps he ought to tuck the magpie plushie into its seat belt.

* * *

(End of Chapter Nineteen.) (27/08/16.)

* * *

 **01\. Canon compliance:**

The HWU quests that took place in this chapter were Her Steel Heart (L11.1); Crash Landing (L11.2); and Diva and Conquer (Day 05 of 07).

* * *

 **02\. A tiny request:**

Thank you for reading my fanfic! :D If you've read this far, I hope you'll consider taking an extra minute to leave a review for Chapter Nineteen ("Fighting Fear")? :D Reviews really mean a lot to me as a fanfiction writer because I get to hear your thoughts on something I worked really hard on ^_^ Even if it's the year 2075 or something, I would love to hear your thoughts on this chapter! :D

* * *

 **03\. Two interesting HWU things:  
**

One, the HWU online television series! :D Did you know that a fellow HWU fan, Zoe (her username on Tumblr is "dizzyclueless"), is diligently working on HWU: The Series? It's a fan-made online television series based on Thomas Hunt and other characters from Hollywood U! ^_^ (At the moment, I'm just a very enthusiastic supporter... but I would LOVE to be involved in HWU: The Series someday! :D) You can find out more about this AMAZING television project on Tumblr (their official Tumblr blog is "hwutheseries"). I just LOVE how Pixelberry and Hollywood U have inspired SO many of us fans! ^_^

And two, my second HWU fanfic! :D If you're interested in reading Marie Claire's perspective of this chapter (Chapter Nineteen), then I encourage you to read "NYTMC 2: Marie Claire's Interlude" ^_^ Here's the summary: _"(Part two of the NYTMC series.) (Midquel.) How did Marie Claire Hart fall in love with her most dashing, yet most cantankerous, professor? A retelling of my MC/Hunt fanfic "NYTMC 1: Not Your Typical Meet-Cute" from Marie Claire's perspective, in 100-word drabbles."_


	20. Day 16c (T): Teaching Fear (Level 11)

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Hollywood U. This amazing game belongs to Pixelberry! :)**

* * *

 **My responses to your reviews:**

78\. (01/09/16) MiraMaria: I'm glad you liked this chapter! :D We're learning new things about Thomas as this story progresses... including how he feels about toy stores and scruffy magpie plushies :P

77\. (30/08/16) TheLogicalDreamerandWriter: That he does :P Thanks for reading! :)

76\. (29/08/16) Rina-The-Fangirl: Glad you liked it! :) Here is part of the Fear 101 quest, with more to come sooner than you think! :P

75\. (28/08/16) Guest (jinxyrock3000): When writing that chapter I tried to describe what Thomas' grumpy self would think of a toy store :D Thank you very much! :D

* * *

 **Chapter Twenty: Day 16c (Tuesday) – Teaching Fear (Level 11.2)**

* * *

Screening Room H-Six was normally Thomas' safe haven. In the chaos of Hollywood U, it was usually his tiny oasis of peace, where he could relax and not be obliged to work or do anything unpleasant.

Granted, while rehearsing lines was not at all unpleasant – in fact, the familiar process of reading, remembering, reciting, checking, and reciting again was somewhat comforting – what he was doing was still work, as this Fear 101 lesson was technically a class he was going to teach, even if it was at night. The only witness to his personal preparations was the stuffed magpie he had bought hours earlier, watching him refine his performance without offering judgment.

 _Though considering she is a stuffed bird, I would be very surprised if she were to suddenly come to life and say something._

And at that thought, he raised his eyebrow, as apparently, in addition to purchasing the ratty thing, he had also guessed at its gender? He needed to stop thinking of unimportant things and go back to his lines.

As he opened his mouth to recite his latest line again, his cell phone's alarm rang, reminding him that his meeting with the make-up artists who would be doing the actors' zombie make-up was in ten minutes, and that the actors themselves would be showing up half an hour after that.

Realizing that his laptop, which had pictures of the house's layout in it, was still in his office, Thomas picked up his bag of toy weapons and stuffed the toy magpie inside of it before leaving Screening Room H-Six. While he had bought the useless toy, he drew the line at people seeing him with it, and he made sure it couldn't be seen as he made the quick trip to his office.

Once at his office, he quickly made for this desk, setting the bag of toys down on the floor as he took his laptop and placed it in his laptop bag. Facing the door, he used his left hand to grasp his laptop bag's handle and was about to leave when he noticed the bag of toys in the floor.

Knowing that he had no need to bring a stuffed magpie to his meeting, he absently took the magpie plushie out of the bag with his right hand and placed it on a small side table beside his shelf before taking the bag of toy weapons off the floor. After opening his office door with the hand carrying the weapons bag, he hurriedly walked to the same conference room he had met the actors the previous day.

As he walked, he wondered if the portable smoke machines, which he had taken out and hidden in the bushes outside the house before he went to Screening Room H-Six, had emitted enough smoke for the grounds to be sufficiently misty during the lesson. He had chosen portable smoke machines because they could be easily hidden in the bushes, though the drawback had been that he had needed to place portable generators in those same bushes as well, to ensure that the smoke machines would not run out of power.

Upon entering and seeing that all the make-up artists were already inside the conference room, he introduced himself and inquired about their ideas for the zombies' make-up. While Thomas had his own ideas, he had learned from the actors that knowing the people you were working with was important. If they were idiots, it was better to know sooner rather than later.

"I thought that it would be best for the zombies to have slightly different make-up, Professor Hunt," said the woman who had introduced herself as the head make-up artist of the group. "While complete conformity may give the impression of a lack of humanity, a sense of realism must be retained to maintain the illusion of horror."

Mildly impressed, Thomas asked her to continue, and she did, saying that the face, neck, and other exposed skin of the actors would be covered in light gray make-up as a base before other colors, such as yellow, red, brown, magenta, purple, and finally, green would be added in order to make the make-up multi-dimensional. She also explained that her team would use simple things such as tissues and cotton pads, sticking them to the actors and covering them with make-up to look like burnt skin or peeling flesh. As she was talking, the actors quietly entered the room and seated themselves, waiting for them to finish their conversation.

Thomas set up his laptop so that the images on the screen would also be shown to everybody else in the room via projector. After thanking everybody for coming, he started his last-minute notes on the night's performance.

"At the beginning of the lesson, you will all be at the portable make-up stations outside the back of the house. As you can all see," said Thomas, gesturing to the picture he was showing them, "there are bushes and the odd tree here and there in front. While I am giving them the introduction to the lesson, quietly make your way there, and don't forget to leave plenty of space between you and the house so you won't be seen."

He moved to the second photo and continued.

"You'll have time because one of you will be the first to show yourself. When I say the part of the introduction about a situation from which there is no escape, that zombie will grab the closest student..."

After explaining to them where they ought to be at different parts of the night, and telling them to remember to trap him under the light plywood bookcase that would be placed just behind the house's left front window, he asked if they had any questions.

One of the actors he had spoken to before, Dyed Hair, asked, "Should we grab the students quickly to alarm them, or slowly to act the way zombies would?"

"Slowly," replied Thomas, "but use a firm grip so that they won't be able to break free. Speaking of which," he said, addressing the other actors in the room, "if you see a zombie grab a student, converge on that student and help your fellow zombie drag them out. After that, explain the situation to them and send them to the portable make-up stations."

 _I just hope they'll play along without too much of a fuss._

"Next question?"

Blue Shirt, who, funnily enough, had been wearing a blue shirt yesterday and was wearing a different blue shirt today, asked, "Should we target any students in particular? For example, the stronger-looking students, so that they won't be able to help defend their classmates later on?"

Pleased that the actors were acting much more sensibly today than they were yesterday, Thomas shook his head. "No, just grab whomever is closest to you."

Looking out the window, he noticed that the sun had already set during their meeting, and that the university campus was already quite dark.

After thanking them for coming and reminding them what time they were going to start the lesson, Thomas excused himself to check on the house and to put the weapons his students would use in the ground floor closet.

"Wait a minute!" said Dyed Hair in alarm as Thomas was just exiting the conference room. "Weapons? What do you mean, weapons?!"

Thomas pretended not to hear as he continued to walk away, suddenly in a very good mood...

...though some time later that night, after checking the house to make sure everybody would be safe during the lesson, and after confirming that the zombie actors and make-up artists were where they were supposed to be, he knew he would have to let go of his good mood, or at least not let it show, because from a quick glance outside a window, he knew that his students had already gathered outside the house.

 _It's time._

Thomas resolutely placed his hand on the handcrafted bronze doorknob of the heavy wooden front door...

* * *

...and, with a slow, measured push, opened it, listening in satisfaction to the resulting **_crrrreeeeeaaak_** sound that resembled an ancient coffin being opened against its will when it instead should have been sealed away, making his students jump in surprise as the discordant sound echoed across the lonely campus.

 _Oh, my dear students, you are too easily scared..._

Thomas faced his students, who were all huddled together several feet away from him, now peering at him through the fog that had accumulated on the mansion grounds.

Lazy swirls of mist wafted in and out of the group, obscuring some of them from his vision. It made some of them look like they had bodies but no heads, and others, like they had heads but no bodies.

Did the fog distort their own view of his person in a similar manner?

"It seems," Thomas said, his hands on his hips as he looked down on them from the mansion's elevated front porch, "that whether or not you wanted to, you have already learned one thing tonight. While everyday actions and noises go unnoticed in everyday life, the proper setting can make even the most innocuous sounds seem positively sinister, frightening everybody in the vicinity."

"Well, of _course_ I'm scared!" Bianca screeched, emulating his posture to make her point, the sudden movement vanishing some of the mist that had surrounded her. "In the movies, the crazy killer always targets the pretty girl first before murdering all the ugly losers!"

Marie Claire asked her innocently, "So why are _you_ worried? You should be relieved – you'll be the last one standing." In the moonlight, Thomas could see a few of her fellow students snigger at her wry comment.

Growling in frustration, Bianca faced Marie Claire head-on. "Just what is _that_ supposed to-"

" _Anyway,_ " he said sharply, unwilling to let go of his control over his lesson, "as Miss Stone has shown us, while horror movies and the tropes that exist within them are meant to be confined to the theatre, it cannot be denied that the lessons we learn from them are ones that we apply to our daily lives."

Thomas gestured to the door behind him. "Unexpected noises, a version of which you experienced mere moments ago, are frightening to everybody. Vampires, gory murder scenes, psychological horror... these are also examples of what makes people wary as they live their lives. But, beyond blood and gore, there is a primordial fear that each of these, and more, inspire in all of us."

In the thick darkness, his students illuminated only by the moon, the stars, and the odd faraway light, he could see that he had his students' complete attention, and continued.

"For instance, zombies have been a staple in the horror genre for decades. Why is that? What do zombies represent?"

His students looked at each other uncertainly, then one of them spoke up.

"Uhhh..." said Lance, shifting his feet uneasily, feet he likely couldn't see because of the fog in the area, "don't zombies just represent gross, dead people? My worst nightmare would be an unattractive version of myself!"

 _Let's see if that's still his worst nightmare after tonight..._

"Wrong. Zombies represent death itself."

Thomas' voice went an octave deeper as he continued with a stark coldness that seemed perfectly appropriate in their present environment.

"They're slow, but relentless. They're ever-present, always lurking nearby, just waiting for you to make that fatal mistake."

Behind them, Thomas could see a zombie moving slowly towards his students, just passing a large, dead tree with gnarled branches. Meanwhile, his students, who were facing him, were oblivious.

"Yes, they are frightening to look upon, but the _true_ fear is that you'll be forced into a situation from which there is _no escape._ "

At the crack of a snapped twig behind them, his students turned around, then gasped as they saw a living corpse lurching its way towards them.

"Is that what I think it is?" asked Marie Claire, perplexed.

The zombie ignored her, emitting a pained, lingering groan as it brought itself closer and closer to the group of students, who started backing away in alarm, especially Mova, the movie star who had been Marie Claire's improvisation partner, who was closest to the figure that was unsteadily swaying from side to side as it moved forward.

"Professor?" Mova squeaked as the zombie raised its head to meet Mova's alarmed gaze with its hollowed-out eye sockets, "it's looking at me... I'm not sure I want it looking at me..."

 _Those make-up artists did a good job,_ mused Thomas. _They must have used flesh-toned film to shield the actor's eyes to give the illusion of eye sockets._ He paused. _Oh, I should respond to what she said._

"Don't be dense, Mova," he said. "That's only an actor I hired to make this lesson more effective. He won't harm you, and neither will the other actors."

Startled, Marie Claire said, "Why do you need zombies in your lesson plan? Is that normal?"

 _It's normal for_ this _lesson._

He rolled his eyes. "I said _actors,_ Marie Claire, not zombies. And I won't be hiring this actor again, either... not after it ruined my lesson by showing up _twelve hours earlier_ than it was supposed to!"

Relieved, Mova approached the zombie, who had still not stopped moving towards her. "Wow, you're doing great work – I was really scared there for a moment! Did you do your own make-up? Can you teach me? It looks so gory and realistic!"

As she cheerfully continued to chatter at the zombie, it emitted a menacing growl before tackling her to the ground without warning. However, instead of fearing for her life, his student only covered her face and begged the zombie to not destroy it.

 _Well, now I know where her priorities lie..._

"What are you doing to my student?!" shouted Thomas indignantly at the zombie. "That wasn't part of the character notes I e-mailed you! And I _expressly_ told you that you weren't allowed to ad-lib!"

"I think something's wrong!" exclaimed Marie Claire. She quickly gestured to her friends. "We have to help Mova!"

Addison grabbed her arm to stop her, pointing in front of them. "Marie Claire, look!"

Her friend did look, and so did everybody else, including Thomas. The everpresent fog, thick as it was, could not hide what was coming for their group – dozens of rotting corpses more dead than alive, taking swaying yet purposeful steps toward them.

As a female zombie stretched out one arm in front and above her in a clawing gesture, Thomas remarked, "That's not an actress!"

Stirred into action by his ominous proclamation, some of his students tried to fight the zombies, pushing and elbowing those that were within their reach in an effort to escape. But it was no use – as soon as one student made physical contact with a zombie, its fellows would surround the unfortunate person and push forcefully, forcing that person to collapse to the ground in defeat.

Good at seeking opportunities, whether they were related to contracts or continued survival, Ethan pointed out something of interest.

"Look! There are zombies over there, but there's a gap anyway – the only gap!"

They looked at the tree he was indicating, whose rotted, looming self did not look at all inviting. However, Ethan was apparently willing to overlook its suspicious appearance in favor of adding a few more years to his life.

"We can make it if we go to that tree and use the gap between the zombies to escape! Let's go!"

He started to move forward, but Marie Claire grabbed the back of his suit. "Ethan, don't!"

One of Thomas' other students, who was not named Ethan and therefore theoretically had permission to make a run for it, did precisely that, breaking free from the group and dashing towards the gap – when unexpectedly, a zombie that had been hiding behind the tree tackled him in mid-run, sending them both to the ground.

Ethan gaped at his classmate, who was quickly surrounded by the tackling zombie's lurching comrades. He turned to Marie Claire and thanked her, who in turn quipped that she preferred agents with their brains inside their heads.

Ignoring their banter, Bianca's friends were panicking – Lance because he didn't want to die, and Jenni because...

"...I can't livetweet when I'm dead!"

 _And now I know where_ her _priorities lie as well... though from her social media account that I had to check for the diva project, I probably already knew that..._

As the dozens of zombies moved forwards, unrelenting in their quest for brains, his students took one step backwards after another, angling their bodies so that they stayed out of reach of the approaching zombie horde.

Thomas cleared his throat loudly, making his students turn towards him.

"Well? Do you want to stay outside and be eaten by zombies before you've lived long enough to submit decent projects in my class, or are you coming inside?"

They look surprised, as if they suddenly just remembered that there was a large mansion only a few feet away from them.

Quickly, Marie Claire shouted, "Hurry, everybody! Get inside the house!"

* * *

After barely avoiding being crushed under his students' stampeding feet, Thomas observed them from a corner, talking fearfully amongst themselves as Marie Claire turned the deadbolt on the front door.

"I've locked this door," she told everybody, "but I don't think this is going to be enough to keep them out..."

Thomas snorted silently. Out loud, he grumpily said, "Very good, Marie Claire. Wonderful observation. We're glad your logic is here to guide us through this."

She shot him an irritated glare. "Really, Professor Hunt? Do you think this is a good time to be sarcastic?"

"No," he snapped at her, "I think that unless you want to be eaten by a zombie, now is a good time to build some barricades to keep them out of this mansion!" He turned to the others. "It looks like there is a large amount of furniture inside this house. Some of it must be heavy enough to use to block the windows and door. If we seal ourselves in here until daylight, we might survive – but first, we need to make those barricades!"

His students went to work, grabbing small items, such as end tables, by themselves, or working together to lift larger, heavier things like paintings and floor lamps. Thomas watched them with a critical eye, noting that they seemed to focus on protecting certain areas and neglecting others.

Lance, spurred to action by the possibility of having the face of a zombie, tried moving a heavy red couch to the front door, but was unable to do it alone. As a model, Thomas knew that he very likely had an exercise regimen for himself to stay in shape – after all, he was the same during his own modeling days – but exercises to keep one's skin toned for the camera were not necessarily ones that built enough muscle to move heavy furniture.

As his student realized the same thing, he turned to his girlfriend and asked for help, only to be rebuffed, with Bianca saying that he ought to be able to do it on his own because she was paying for his expensive workouts. Meanwhile, their friend, Jenni, was of the opinion that cushions stacked against the house's left front window would stop a zombie from coming inside.

 _Of_ course _that makes sense,_ Thomas thought sarcastically. _After all, even if the zombies could get past a glass window, soft cushions would_ definitely _stop them..._

Marie Claire, no doubt thinking something similar, went to help her classmate. A zombie hand managed to smash the glass and reach for them, and, in the small commotion, Thomas sneakily undid the deadbolt on the front door.

To stop the zombie from making any more progress, Marie Claire pushed a bookshelf to block the window – the same bookshelf, in fact, that Thomas had strategically placed there the day before for precisely that purpose. She then tried to tell Jenni to grab something heavier, but her classmate refused to listen – until zombies poured in from the door Thomas had unlocked and one grabbed Lance.

" _Brrrraaains!"_ snarled the zombie, dripping spittle on its floor as it tightened its grip on the back of Lance's shirt and dragged her prey to her undead comrades.

"No, don't!" cried Lance, flailing his arms around and digging in his heels as he tried to resist. "Don't pull on my shirt! You'll rip it! It's Armani!"

Thomas wanted to smack himself on the forehead. _What_ is _it with my students' priorities?!_

Bianca finally showed some concern for her boyfriend, but she was too late – Addison had to pull her back as Thomas and Ethan slammed into the door in one wordlessly coordinated motion, Lance's cry of "Armaniiiiiii..." echoing outside before suddenly being silenced.

The loss of one of their number – if one weren't counting the students that had been captured outside the house – heightened their sense of urgency and had them piling furniture against the entrances in a greater frenzy than before.

Ignoring them, Thomas used the time to look outside a small side window as best he could, noticing that the zombie horde was becoming larger by the minute. He was about to voice this observation when Ethan, who was next to him and had looked out as well, beat him to the bush, telling everybody what he had also seen. He finished despondently, "Those barricades won't hold forever, guys..."

Marie Claire put her hands on her hips. "We need a plan..."

 _...Oh, is she coming up with something?_ Thomas thought, interested...

...when Thomas noticed that Marie Claire, along with the rest of her classmates, had turned to him, he who was their despair in the classroom but their only hope in this life-threatening situation.

 _No... apparently, she thinks I should come up with a plan for them..._

He raised his eyebrow. "Why are you all directing your dimwitted, hopeful stares at me? Must I think of everything for you?"

"You should!" whined Bianca. "You're our professor! Being smart is your job!"

As he opened his mouth to respond to that, he heard Marie Claire speak. "Professor..."

He turned towards her. "Yes?"

"Well, um... We don't want to put pressure on you or anything, but being trapped here by zombies... we're all really scared... Do you know what's happening? What's going on?"

He looked out the window again before facing them all. "I had planned for things to go very differently. This was supposed to be a lesson on horror movies, with actors dressed up as zombies as part of a practical demonstration, but this is not what I had in mind. Something has gone wrong."

"What?!" she said, glaring at him. "You had to go that far? What's wrong with watching and analyzing movies like normal people?"

He had been taken aback at her vulnerability just moments ago, but this side of her... this he knew how to handle. He glared back.

"Did you think I wanted to teach you a low-key movie appreciation class? You're a Hollywood U student. You will be creating the horror movies of tomorrow. And how are you supposed to do that if you don't know what fear is – if you've never felt it in your very bones?"

Thomas put on a contemplative expression.

"But, as I said earlier, something must have gone wrong. Something sinister has happened to this university. Those zombies are no actors."

Beside him, Ethan look put-out, saying that while he didn't believe that the creatures outside were real zombies, he did agree that something was wrong, and Marie Claire said that she was sure Lance would agree with him.

On the floor, Bianca was rocking back and forth. Her friend Jenni tried to make her feel better, but to no avail – she looked as if there was much she had planned to do with her life, and couldn't bear to die at this point in the game.

 _I'm surprised,_ Thomas thought as he watched both of them. _Bianca is showing a surprising depth of feeling._

"I _have_ to live!" cried Bianca as she kept rocking on the floor, her arms hugging her knees. "I _have_ to! I haven't broken a hundred thousand Twitter followers yet!"

 _I take back what I just thought. My students have the worst priorities conceivable._

As Bianca and Jenni talked about _Twitter,_ of all things, Addison asked everybody, "So... who has a plan? What are we going to do?!"

Thomas looked at them in determination.

"Students, we're going to fight our way out."

* * *

(End of Chapter Twenty.) (03/09/16.)

* * *

 **01\. Canon compliance:**

The HWU quests that took place in this chapter were Her Steel Heart (L11.1); Crash Landing (L11.2); Diva and Conquer (Day 05 of 07); and Fear 101 (Day 01 of 01) (Part I of II).

* * *

 **02\. A tiny request:**

Thank you for reading my fanfic! :D If you've read this far, I hope you'll consider taking an extra minute to leave a review for Chapter Twenty (Teaching Fear)? :D Reviews really mean a lot to me as a fanfiction writer because I get to hear your thoughts on something I worked really hard on ^_^ Even if it's the year 2075 or something, I would love to hear your thoughts on this chapter! :D

* * *

 **03\. Two interesting HWU things:  
**

One, the HWU online television series! :D Did you know that a fellow HWU fan, Zoe (her username on Tumblr is "dizzyclueless"), is diligently working on HWU: The Series? It's a fan-made online television series based on Thomas Hunt and other characters from Hollywood U! ^_^ (At the moment, I'm just a very enthusiastic supporter... but I would LOVE to be involved in HWU: The Series someday! :D) You can find out more about this AMAZING television project on Tumblr (their official Tumblr blog is "hwutheseries"). I just LOVE how Pixelberry and Hollywood U have inspired SO many of us fans! ^_^

And two, my second HWU fanfic! :D If you're interested in reading Marie Claire's perspective of this chapter (Chapter Twenty), then I encourage you to read "NYTMC 2: Marie Claire's Interlude" ^_^ Here's the summary: _"(Part two of the NYTMC series.) (Midquel.) How did Marie Claire Hart fall in love with her most dashing, yet most cantankerous, professor? A retelling of my MC/Hunt fanfic "NYTMC 1: Not Your Typical Meet-Cute" from Marie Claire's perspective, in 100-word drabbles."_


	21. Day 16d (T): Learning Fear (Level 11)

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Hollywood U. This amazing game belongs to Pixelberry! :)**

* * *

 **My responses to your reviews:**

80\. (04/09/16) MiraMaria: I wasn't sure I could describe a horror setting, so I'm glad you liked the way I described the atmosphere in that chapter! :) I am also very happy that we can now recruit Thomas Hunt! :D You're very welcome, and thank you so much for reviewing this chapter! :)

79\. (04/09/16) Guest: Thank you! :) I wasn't sure anybody would review this chapter because the one after it was going to be published the day after, but I was so happy to see that you liked this chapter! :)

* * *

 **Chapter Twenty-One: Day 16d (Tuesday) – Learning Fear (Levels 11.1-11.2)**

* * *

Shaking himself out of it, Thomas confirmed with Ethan the position of the majority of the zombies before telling his students that there was a chance for them to survive. Bianca, however, disagreed, but Thomas expanded further on his point.

"While there are more of them, it is likely that one of them is as strong as one of us, meaning that their reanimation has not granted them extra strength. Not only that, they move slowly and sluggishly, which makes surrounding their prey necessary. As long as we aren't cornered, we can survive to see tomorrow."

He continued, "There are prop weapons in the hall closet here on the ground floor. The hired actors were supposed to use them as part of the demonstration we had planned. They're only toys, and won't hurt the zombies, but those prop weapons can still keep us out of their reach. After taking those weapons from the closet, we'll head for the back door. Since there are more zombies on this side of the house, we'll have a chance of making it out if we use an alternative escape route."

They started to nod in agreement of the plan, and he took the moment to sternly tell them, "If you want to live, you need to do _exactly_ as I say. That is the only way that this plan will succeed. Like it or not, I am your best, and, more importantly, your _only_ chance to survive the night. Do you understand?"

His students nodded again – just as the glass of the left front window shattered, and Addison's warning...

"Look out, Professor!"

...was too late, and he acted if he were surprised to see the zombies start to tip over the bookcase as he had intended them to. The undead crawled through the now useless window, knocking over the bookcase just at the right angle for Thomas to pretend it had hit him with great force. Drawing from his acting past, he pretended to be felled by the bookcase, falling on the floor with it resting on top of him.

Now supposedly unable to do anything, he watched as the front door burst open and more living corpses flooded into the now-crowded living room of the large mansion. A zombie, growling that they wanted brains, grabbed Jenni's right arm, only for her to wail that the grabbed appendage "was her Tweeting arm."

 _I can't believe my students are so... Maybe I should plan a class specifically to give them better priorities in life..._

Though Bianca cried out her friend's name, she was unable to help as a small group of zombies dragged Jenni out of the house. Wondering what his other students were doing, he turned his head – just in time to see a large group of zombies partially fill the gap between himself and Marie Claire...

...and her eyes widened and he heard her gasp, _"No!"_

 _How touching,_ he thought sardonically...

...and then he pauses as he sees her bend her knees and duck her head as she quickly grabs from the floor something that looks like a discarded ball point pen.

 _What is she planning on doing with that?_

Still close to the floor, Marie Claire clutches the pen like how a trained assassin would grip a serrated, poisoned dagger. She tilts her face up, her face completely devoid of expression as she looks at the zombies standing between herself and her grumpy professor. Her eyes fly back and forth, possibly counting what must be over twenty zombies-

 _Wait, is she truly counting them? Does she think that she can actually-_

-and she looks as if she is coldly cataloging vital body organs, formulating a calculated strategy that will see her destroying the undead that are blocking the path between herself and Thomas-

 _But I'm only her professor; why does she look like she-_

-and she clutches her dagger-pen even tighter as with a sudden spring, she leaps up from her crouch on the floor, propelling herself towards them in a move that is purely and wholly one savage, feral attack-

-only to be pulled back by Ethan, mirroring what Marie Claire had done for him outside the house, and Thomas vaguely hears him tell Marie Claire that the situation was too dangerous.

And at his words, Marie Claire's complete lack of facial expression evaporates and she cries out, "We can't just leave him! Thomas! _Thomas!_ "

Something in his chest aches when he hears her say his name with such desperation. These are only the second and third times she has used his first name, and a hidden part of his heart is of the _strong_ opinion that he cannot and _will not_ hear her scream his name in such a hopeless manner ever again; because each time he hears his name from her lips, it ought to be said, just like the first time, with tender affection like she had during their dance in the rain the night of the Fairy Kingdom Formal...

...but he refuses to acknowledge these thoughts because he still has a part to play.

With the cool detachment of a seasoned actor, he hides his feelings behind manufactured panic as he pretends to struggle underneath the very thin and very light plywood bookcase on top of him. But then he raises his head, and...

...their eyes meet for a single moment in time...

...and even after he tells them to run and they do, and even after the zombie actors help him get out from underneath the bookcase...

...he will wonder why, in that single moment in time, Marie Claire looked almost as if she were begging Thomas with her eyes to let her stay.

* * *

"Thank you," Thomas said after a couple zombie actors helped him up, most having gone after his remaining students. "How are my students? I mean, of course, the captured ones."

One of the zombies – he recognized Gold Hoop Noserings's voice – replied, "They're at the make-up stations. They were really happy to hear that they weren't go to be eaten, but this one student... I don't know her name, but she keeps on taking selfies-"

"Jenni," supplied Thomas.

"-Jenni, last I heard of her, she kept holding everybody up because she just _had_ to take a picture of every second of the make-up application process."

 _That sounds like her._

"Alright. I'll take care of the situation. Thank you. Please join your comrades."

At that, they parted ways: the actors to his remaining 'living' students, and Thomas to the portable make-up stations outside the house, just a few feet away from the back door.

As he approached and they noticed him, the make-up artists, Jenni, and his other students all started to talk at once.

He raised his palm sharply. "Stop!"

They did.

Thomas turned to the head make-up artist. "How have my students been? I hope they haven't been giving you any problems?"

She replied, "Most of your students have been wonderful, Professor Hunt – once we explained what they were supposed to do, they gamely let us put zombie make-up on their faces. It's just that this self-absorbed one-"

"Jenni!" his student pouted. "Why do you all keep calling me the self-absorbed one?!"

The head make-up artist raised an eyebrow at Jenni, who, even at that moment, was trying to take another selfie. "I wonder why," she said dryly. Turning back to Thomas, she continued, "This self-absorbed one keeps slowing us all down. But at least she's cooperating, so there aren't any real problems."

Nodding his thanks at the head make-up artist, he turned to his students. "How have you all been?"

Mova, who had been the first student to be caught, grinned widely, the action looking peculiar on her supposedly decomposing face. "It's been great, Professor! Since your class, I like improv more than I used to before, so this is going to be a fun experience!" She slumped. "Even though my primary line will just be something about brains..."

"Ah..." said Thomas, perplexed at her sudden change in mood, "Well, a true improv actor can make any line sound convincing and full of heart. Just work on it and you will perform adequately."

Mova perked up at that. "Thanks, Professor! I will!"

As she moved away to practice a couple of growls, Thomas thought humorously to himself, _And_ that _is how you trick students into doing what you want them to do._

For fifteen minutes, Thomas walked among his students, having short conversations with most of them as he inspected the work of the different make-up artists. They had done a good job making everybody look slightly different – with some creativity with their make-up, his students looked like they had been mangled in a variety of ways or had suffered several disgusting illnesses before dying slow, painful deaths.

By the time he had made his rounds, everybody, even Jenni, looked like proper zombies. Thomas was just about to talk to her when he heard a loud commotion from the mansion entrance.

 _What is that?_

Following the noise, he almost stumbled into five people. Four zombie actors each struggled to maintain a good grip on the arms and legs of the student they were carrying, who was flailing around like a squirmy, highly caffeinated eel.

"No!" screeched the student desperately, trying to punch the zombie holding her right arm, but unable to do so. "You won't turn me into a zombie!"

Thomas blinked. _That's not a student I would have expected to resist so fiercely, but being Marie Claire's friend, I suppose brashness must be contagious..._

He cleared his throat. "Miss Sinclair?"

Not appearing to hear Thomas, his student continued trying to free herself from her zombie captors, who were slowly taking her to the portable make-up stations. "And I won't let you eat my brains! I need my brains! Go get your own!"

Walking alongside them, he tried again. "Miss Sinclair?"

Still focused on the supposedly starving zombies, she shouted, "I dare you to eat me! I'll headbutt you before you can take one bite!"

Thomas had had enough. _"Addison!"_

At the sound of her first name, Addison blinked, momentarily going still as she tried to process what she was seeing – her slightly annoyed professor looming over her after her zombie captors had just finished laying her on the grass.

"Professor?" she inquired in confusion. "What are you doing here?"

He started to explain the concept of his Fear 101 lesson to her. "Stop making such a fuss. You are supposed to calm down and let the-"

But before he could finish, Addison wailed loudly and started struggling again. "No! I won't calm down just so that you can eat my brains! I won't! I won't!" Her howls grew increasingly louder. "You think I'll just let you eat my brains without a fight? Just try it and I'll kick you in the-"

Thomas sighed. _This could take a while._

* * *

Forty minutes later – which consisted of thirty minutes trying to calm down his panicked student, and ten minutes enduring endless apologies from said student for her threatening to kick him in the head so hard it would soar over the mansion like a football – Addison's zombie make-up was applied as speedily as possible and he and his other students were stationed at the back door of the house, surrounding it in a semi-circle so that the remaining survivors wouldn't see the portable make-up stations just a few feet away.

Suddenly, the back door burst open, and the students-turned-zombies standing outside saw Bianca, doorknob in one hand and plastic spear in the other. As his zombie students started to surround her, forcing her back into the house, she stopped when she recognized two distinct zombies.

"L-Lance? Jenni?!"

Adding their own flavor to their undead moans, their low growls of "Baaaaeeeeeee..." and "Hashtag Braaaaaainnssss..." were enough to stop Bianca in her tracks long enough for them to grab her and drag her outside. Ethan, who was similarly in shock at seeing his fashionista friend as a zombie, was unable to do much but emit garbled sentences as Addison pulled him away from the safety of the mansion.

And after applying zombie make-up to their new captives so fast that Thomas was almost sure that the make-up artists had broken some kind of world record, they followed the other zombies, all of whom were pursuing the last person still 'alive,' who, as Thomas had predicted to himself earlier, was none other than his most promising, yet most frustrating, student.

* * *

At the sound of a heavy door upstairs being slammed shut, Thomas knew that Marie Claire had made it into the attic – the only place the last survivor could logically end up after Thomas had locked all the other rooms in mansion the day before.

Upon reaching the highest floor of the house, he silently gestured to some zombies to station themselves around the attic door and handed one of them its key. He then directed the others to follow him into a supply closet just beside it, which had a large hole in the wall that was covered by a painting hanging inside the attic.

As more zombies lined gathered behind him, Thomas stayed still to hear if he student was saying anything, and he wasn't disappointed. Though slightly muffled, he could hear her talking to herself. "Those zombies are going to keep coming after him... I have to block the door somehow!"

 _She's still not giving up._

The next few minutes consisted of her huffs and puffs and groans as she, presumably, struggled to move heavy furniture by herself. After hearing her push for a couple of minutes what was probably the heavy bench inside the attic, she stopped.

All of them could hear her panting in exhaustion before she said, "Don't know what a bench was doing all the way up here, but I'm lucky, I guess... Now I just need to... to..."

She paused.

"But... what am I going to do?" Marie Claire asked despondently, as if somebody could provide her with answers. "Addison... Ethan... Professor Hunt..."

 _-Thomas feels his heart skip a beat-_

"...they're all gone..."

Blinking away the curious notion of wanting to punch himself in the face, Thomas could hear the group of actors standing outside scratch against the wooden attic door, and he took that as his cue to push the painting upward at an angle to let his own zombies through, each of them filing past him as he held the painting in place.

They shuffled into the room, getting into the spirit of things when they saw their prey. As the last of them entered the attic, Thomas heard Marie Claire gasp, "Who's there?!"

Her cell phone's flashlight came to life just in time to illuminate the zombies headed towards her, and he heard her express regret as her classmates Bianca, Lance, and Jennie threatening walked towards her – and her regret turned into abject despair as her closest friends, Ethan and Addison, came into view.

Resisting until the end, she scrambled backwards, her back touching the benched as her hands moved this way and that, trying to fend off the zombie horde while at the same time attempting to find anything she could use as a weapon.

He couldn't help but compare her calculatingly determined self earlier who wanted to save him to the young woman now pleading not for her to be spared, but for her friends to forgive her.

 _It's her own life on the line now. Why isn't she acting like she was before?_

"Ethan... Addison... I... I tried to save you! I'm sorry! I'm _so_ sorry!"

As the zombies from the wall approached, and as the zombies at the door forced their way inside, he could see Marie Claire curl up into a tiny ball and close her eyes, waiting for the inevitable end...

...when Thomas' clear voice rang throughout the attic.

"It's over, Marie Claire... you were smart, you did everything you could... but now, there is no escape."

"Wait..." She opened her eyes. "Professor Hunt?"

Thomas nodded, and then realized that she probably couldn't see him. He flipped on a light switch, and the attic was suddenly filled with bright, white light. The zombies parted to reveal him. He walked over to Marie Claire.

"Now, Marie Claire, you have known true fear. The lesson is over."

Looking at him as if she couldn't believe he was actually alive, she gaped at him. "You! But... but you got eaten!"

Thomas regarded his student, who, until just a few moments ago, had believed herself to be the last survivor amongst her classmates and her friends. He extended his arm, his hand lightly grasping hers as he helped pull her to her feet.

Once upright, she let go of his hand to quickly brush herself off before asking him, "Did you really have to make us think that zombies walked the earth?"

"Some lessons," he told her, "cannot be taught, only lived. Now come along, the rest of your classmates are waiting downstairs and they're growing restless..."

He smirked to himself when Marie Claire, still wary that he might turn her into a zombie while her guard was down, made him walk five steps in front of her as they made their way down to the others.

* * *

As his students caught up with each other, Thomas spoke with the actors, praising them for their convincing portrayal of the undead and thanking them for their hard work. When his students had settled down, he gave them hints about what some of his future lessons would be like before dismissing them to go home. Right after, the head make-up artist tapped him on the shoulder to ask a question, and by the time he finished answering, as well as commending all the make-up artists for their considerable skill, all of his students, including Marie Claire, were gone.

Later that night, once everything had been packed up, and he had finalized certain details with the hired cast and crew of his Fear 101 lesson, and he had settled into his bedroom desk and opened his journal, he looked at the blank space on the latest page.

Before, he thought he would write a detailed account of the lesson, including the fact that he had accomplished his lesson's main, if hidden goal, which was to teach Marie Claire fear after her recklessness with the tank only three days ago, but after picking up his pen, he only wrote a single sentence.

" ** _After mourning her two closest and dearest friends, she said my name."_**

He closed his journal after that, his mind wandering to the many notable incidents that had occurred that evening – he made a mental note to never attempt to eat Addison Sinclair's brains under any circumstances – even as part of his heart wondered why his troublemaker had seemed so desperate to save him.

* * *

(End of Chapter Twenty-One.) (04/09/16.)

* * *

 **01\. Canon compliance:**

The HWU quests that took place in this chapter were Her Steel Heart (L11.1); Crash Landing (L11.2); Fear 101 (Day 01 of 01) (Part II of II); and Diva and Conquer (Day 05 of 07).

* * *

 **02\. A tiny request:**

Thank you for reading my fanfic! :D If you've read this far, I hope you'll consider taking an extra minute to leave a review for Chapter Twenty-One ("Learning Fear")? :D Reviews really mean a lot to me as a fanfiction writer because I get to hear your thoughts on something I worked really hard on ^_^ Even if it's the year 2075 or something, I would love to hear your thoughts on this chapter! :D

* * *

 **03\. Two interesting HWU things:**

One, the HWU online television series! :D Did you know that a fellow HWU fan, Zoe (her username on Tumblr is "dizzyclueless"), is diligently working on HWU: The Series? It's a fan-made online television series based on Thomas Hunt and other characters from Hollywood U! ^_^ (At the moment, I'm just a very enthusiastic supporter... but I would LOVE to be involved in HWU: The Series someday! :D) You can find out more about this AMAZING television project on Tumblr (their official Tumblr blog is "hwutheseries"). I just LOVE how Pixelberry and Hollywood U have inspired SO many of us fans! ^_^

And two, my second HWU fanfic! :D If you're interested in reading Marie Claire's perspective of this chapter (Chapter Twenty-One), then I encourage you to read "NYTMC 2: Marie Claire's Interlude" ^_^ Here's the summary: _"(Part two of the NYTMC series.) (Midquel.) How did Marie Claire Hart fall in love with her most dashing, yet most cantankerous, professor? A retelling of my MC/Hunt fanfic "NYTMC 1: Not Your Typical Meet-Cute" from Marie Claire's perspective, in 100-word drabbles."_


	22. Day 17 (W): The Pen (Level 11)

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Hollywood U. This amazing game belongs to Pixelberry! :)**

* * *

 **My responses to your reviews:**

84\. (05/09/16) MiraMaria: That's good to hear – making people smile is one of the reasons I'm writing this fanfic! :) Fear 101 was too much to contain in just one chapter, so I'm happy you liked both chapters... especially Thomas' thoughts and the holding hands scene :P

83\. (05/09/16) Rina-The-Fangirl: Yay! :) It's always nice to hear that people like my writing :) I try to balance between describing things, but not over-describing :) Glad you liked that chapter! :D

82\. (05/09/16) TheLogicalDreamerandWriter: Happy to hear that you liked both chapters, and you're welcome! :) I've never written horror before, so it was hard trying to make everything sound scary XD After so many chapters, it's really nice to be able to write some touching moments for Thomas and Marie Claire! :)

81\. (04/09/16) bothergirl99: It's not easy to keep everything in order (in fact, as it is, I have a couple of things I need to sort out), but I try my best :) My outlines help a lot! I'm actually not sure what you meant when you said "super cute," but I'll assume it has something to do with Thomas and Marie Claire? :P I'm glad you like seeing these quests, and this game, from Thomas' perspective – he's a really fun (though occasionally tricky) character to write! :)

* * *

 **Chapter Twenty-Two: Day 17 (Wednesday) – The Pen (Level 11.2)**

* * *

Thomas stifled a groan as he looked up. The mansion a few feet away from him and was considerably less imposing in the light of the morning. While setting up a unique and engaging activity like his Fear 101 lesson the previous night was the easy part, the hard part was cleaning up the next day.

He could hire the maintenance staff of Hollywood U to do it for him, as it the mess inside was a result of a university lesson on university grounds, but he found that he preferred the idea of setting everything to rights himself so that he could gather his thoughts, now that they were no longer whirling around in his mind like the night before. He climbed upstairs to the highest floor, thinking that it would be easier to start from the top of the house and work his way down.

Once there, he climbed through the hole in the wall like he had the previous night and entered the attic that away, seeing all the things that Marie Claire had piled up against the door in an effort to barricade herself from the zombies. Thomas was mildly surprised that, in addition to the heavy boxes, she had managed to push a heavy bench all by herself to block the door.

He supposed adrenaline had helped with that, pushing her to use more physical strength than she herself thought she was capable of – at least, that was what he told himself as he cleared everything away and saw that it took him significantly more time to tidy everything up than it did for her to do the exact opposite.

 _Then again, I'm not being hunted by zombies at the moment._

After that, he grabbed a broom and a dustpan from the upstairs closet and made his way upstairs, sweeping up dust and righting small lamps and pictures that had been knocked askew in the chaos of the previous night. He also swept up the remains of what had been a ceramic lamp. Curiously, it was in the doorway instead of where such a lamp ought to be.

 _Did somebody pick it up and throw it at a zombie? Ouch... that must have hurt._

As he continued tidying up the mansion, he came across the different weapons he had purchased – the trident first, followed by the foam bat and the spear. Because he was cleaning in the reverse order of the path his students had taken the previous night, it was safe to assume that the last survivor, Marie Claire, was the one who had used the silver and gold plastic trident.

 _I hope she didn't poke anybody's eye out with that thing._

After storing the weapons in the downstairs closet, he walked to the final room – the living room, which was the first room they had found themselves in after the zombies had started to come after them in droves. He had plenty of work to do there, and after pushing heavy furniture back into place, setting the light plywood bookshelf back where it was supposed to be, and returning the small cushions and other times to their proper places, Thomas looked around...

...and his eyes fell on a discarded ball point pen lying on the floor.

It was the pen with which Marie Claire had tried to save his life.

Thomas picked it up, marveling at how small it looked sitting in the palm of his hand. It was an unremarkable pen – the inexpensive kind one would pick up at a convenience store if one were urgently in need of something with which to write. Yet it, and its previous wielder, had been in this thoughts last night for far longer than he wanted to admit.

Why would a student – one intelligent enough to find the means to produce a music album within one week of her enrollment – think that such a harmless thing would be an adequate weapon against twenty zombies?

 _She should have known that she had no chance._

Looking at the pen now, something tightened in Thomas' chest; there was _something_ he wanted both to run _away_ from and run towards _to_ at the same time, but he didn't understand.

He also didn't understand why he closed his fingers over the pen gently, as if he were holding something infinitely precious, before placing it in an inner pocket of his suit – the one right above his beating heart.

* * *

 _(Thomas didn't know it yet, but the next time Marie Claire would see that pen, her eyes would immediately go wide, shocked that he had kept that particular pen from that particular night. Meanwhile, he would, on the outside, seem calm and confident, even though he was shaking with nervousness inside, worried that she might change her mind._

 _But in front of three witnesses – a close friend of hers, a close friend of his, and one other – Marie Claire would, with a glowing smile, smooth down her beautiful white dress with intricate lace, pick up the significant pen that Thomas had kept safe all this time, and sign her name on a very important piece of paper – one that would bind their hearts and their lives closer than they would have previously thought possible._

 _Thomas simply didn't know it yet.)_

* * *

After having lunch, Thomas had been behind this desk for barely five minutes, working on his laptop, when he heard some voices outside, in addition to their loud footsteps. Normally, his closed door was able to block all outside noise, but these people were talking so loudly that he could hear every word.

"Recap. What do we want?"

Thomas looked up from his laptop. _Is that Marie Claire?_

"A stunt program at Hollywood U!"

 _That's Agoto,_ Thomas recalled. _He was Marie Claire's partner during the agent project – the one who was willing to walk away from Hollywood U just to stay true to his client._

"Why do we want it?" Marie Claire asked purposefully.

"For Crash. And for all stunt people."

The third voice was familiar, but Thomas couldn't put a name to it. After the third voice had spoken, all three of them stopped walking, sounding like they had come to a stop just outside Thomas' office.

 _Wait... are they here to talk to me?_

"And how are we going to get it?"

Marie Claire again. _She sounds like a cheerleader._

"By..." Agoto sounded hesitant, "...asking Thomas Hunt?"

There was a long pause. Thomas could almost imagine Marie Claire's heavy gaze as she scrutinized her classmates.

"You don't just _ask_ Hunt for something. He doesn't take requests and do stuff just because people ask him to."

For one moment, Thomas' mind saw the memory of Marie Claire asking him for a dance during the Fairy Kingdom Formal, only to be rebuffed... at first. He had eventually given in.

"We _cannot_ be vulnerable. We _cannot_ be weak, or he'll throw us out of his office before we know it! We're not just playing around; this isn't some class project or a negotiation for a contact. Those things are easy. This is _not_ easy. This is **war**!"

 _She certainly does make it sound like war._

"He won't have mercy. He's going to tear us apart. We may not make it out of here alive."

Thomas huffed. _She's laying it on a bit too thick, isn't she?_

"But we won't let him tear us apart, and we're not going to give up. We're not going to let him win. We're going to be fighting every second we're in that office!" Towards the end, her voice had risen from a steady tone to a loud battle cry.

"Ooh, I just got _chills._ "

"Me too."

"Good," said Marie Claire forcefully. "Let's do this!"

He saw his door start to open and quickly looked back at his laptop...

* * *

...only to raise his eyes once again when his three students were standing right in front of his desk.

After greeting him, Marie Claire explained why they were there, and when she finished speaking, Thomas looked at her incredulously.

"Let me get this straight," said Thomas slowly. "A stunt program? You're asking for a stunt program?"

They all nodded seriously.

"You can't be serious, Marie Claire! Have you forgotten that you're on academic probation? Do you really think that now is the time to make audacious requests – when the tightrope on which you're walking now is razor-thin? How could you be asking me for a favor?!"

 _This woman..._

He shook his head. "No way. You can't be serious. You have gone out-of-bounds with this ludicrous request of yours, Marie Claire. Don't make me kick you out of my office for a second time today. Just leave quietly, and I'll pretend that you didn't waste even more of my time this morning."

Even as he stopped talking, he could see that his words didn't have the impact he desired.

After crossing her arms, Marie Claire scowled and replied, "First of all, I'm not joking. I'm completely serious."

Her agent friend, Agoto, chimed in, "And second, don't make the mistake of thinking that this is a request. This is a recommendation – a strong one – from Marie Claire. There's a difference."

Their third companion added that until Thomas listened to what they had to say, they were going to stay right where they were.

 _They're still... Maybe I should explain, slowly, why this is a ridiculous idea._

"Do you think that throwing yourself off a cliff or almost getting yourself is a good enough reason for people to recognize you as an artist? No... those just encourage recklessness! Those are stupid things to do, and while I agree," he continued, "that stunt people are brave and that their contributions may be necessary to filmmaking, those are _not_ good enough reasons to add a stunt program to Hollywood U – which _I_ will have to teach!"

He pointed to the door.

"Now get out, Marie Claire, and do it now – you don't want me to ask you a third time."

From the defiant look on her face, it still looked like she was not going to comply. He opened his mouth to say something, but Marie Claire beat him to it. "Fine. If you don't want to be reasonable and listen to our justifications, we can't force you. But come to our set when we're filming the last scene of our movie."

He crossed his arms, glaring at her but not interrupting.

"Hollywood U is a school dedicated to all aspect of filmmaking in Hollywood, and with our last scene, we're going to prove to you that stunt people deserve a place here! And one more thing..."

Thomas prepared himself for a scathing final remark, but what she actually said...

"...Have a good day."

...made him pause. _What? Did she just tell me to have a good day?_ He raised his eyebrow. "Really? Your closer is to tell me to have a good day?"

"Yeah," said Marie Claire, putting her hands on her hips. "Unlike some people, I believe in being _polite._ "

That surprised him. _She's being startlingly mature about this. And if she can be mature, so can I._

"...Fine," he forced out. "I'll be there."

She blinked. "What?"

"I'll see this stunt, and it had better be truly impressive. Now get _out._ "

The three of them did, rushing for the door of his office with the elation of soldiers who had survived their first real battle, closing it behind them louder than necessary in their excitement.

Two hours later, he received an e-mail from Dean Ericson, saying that Marie Claire had authorized him to use four thousand dollars from the budget to purchase a 3-7 corkscrew engine, a D-12 explosive pack, and the latest ELD crane program patch. He also mentioned the time as well as the place on the campus where the final stunt would take place – or at least his best estimate, assuming the equipment he ordered was delivered promptly that afternoon.

* * *

Everywhere he looked, there was smiles of excitement, and he couldn't blame them. Filming the final stunt – which was likely one of the last scenes in the movie – was sure to bring out many emotions from the cast and crew.

In fact, if he had the right of it, they only started filming two days before the Fairy Kingdom Formal. Today was only the sixth day of filming, yet they had already progressed enough to film what was surely one of the most important scenes of their movie's third act.

As the movie's producer, Marie Claire would have had a hand in all the aspects of the production, not to mention having her own role on-screen as an actor. And this was on the heels of her first major project, Lisa Valentine's debut music video – which she and Marie Claire had released six days after the day Marie Claire had been placed on academic probation.

 _She picks up projects as easily as breathing; she accomplishes them quicker than one would ever expect._

Before he could look around some more, he heard Marie Claire's voice and turned slightly to his right.

"And is the helicopter functioning properly? Over." she asked worriedly into what Thomas guessed was a radio transmitter.

" _Affirmative, Marie Claire,"_ responded an exasperated female voice from the radio. _"We checked all systems this morning; we tried flying it and everything was fine... and after you asked us to fly it a second time, everything was still fine. Over."_

"That's good," said Marie Claire, her shoulders sagging slightly in relief before tensing up again. "And you have the-"

" _The pilot's wearing one out of the four parachutes that you insisted had to be on the helicopter. There are also granola bars, bottles of water, one large fire extinguisher, and two boxes of signal flares, just like you asked. Over."_

"Good. Thank you. Over and out." she said simply.

As she turned off the radio and went to talk to the special effects personnel, Thomas followed, mildly impressed. _So she's observing safety protocol this time, which is good... but having all those things on the helicopter sounds like overkill... still, better to have too much than too little, I suppose._

She give Dean an inquiring look, and after he smiled encouragingly and gave her a thumbs up, Marie Claire held up the radio and spoke into it. "Crash, are you ready? Over."

Dean chimed in, "We only get to do this once, so you should be sure that you're ready!"

The three of them – Thomas, Marie Claire, and Dean – heard a small, muffled sound of discontentment before Crash explained indignantly, _"I don't need second takes!"_

Exchanging a smile with Marie Claire, Dean said, "All right then... you're clear!"

Wondering where the stunt was actually going to take place, as he could see nothing remarkable right in front of him, Thomas was about to ask – before remembering that Marie Claire had spoken to somebody about a helicopter. He looked up...

...just in time to see Crash sit up and rev the engine of his shiny red motorcycle, the loud, grating sound reaching the ears of those below. He began to race across the roof, and Thomas scoffed to himself as he wondered what Marie Claire thought was so impressive about a motorcycle on a roof...

...when several disguised assassins appeared as if from nowhere, drawing their long, wickedly curved swords, swiping their blades to try and decapitate the interloper, but Crash angled the motorcycle to the point that both machine and man were practically completely horizontal, and his position made it so that the only hit he took was three assassins' swords slightly grazing his leather jacket. Once he had left most of them behind, he maneuvered his motorcycle so that they were both upright again...

"Five... four... three..." Dean counted quietly, fingering the controls in front of him.

...and not even a second later, the madman and the innocent motorcycle both launched off the edge of the building, and Thomas could hear Dean's muttered countdown reach its conclusion as the roof seemed to explode, fire and smoke rising up as if the result of utter destruction. The increased air pressure from the explosion gave Crash just the boost he needed to spring up from the motorcycle towards a helicopter's rope ladder. For one split second, they all held their breaths, even Thomas, hoping for the best result...

...and as they watched, even from the chaos of the explosion, Crash had the presence of mind to aim his hand to where it should be, and to curl his fingers just right, so that as the motorcycle fell down to a thick, multi-layered net that caught it easily, Crash, the madman, the stunt person, was triumphantly holding on to a helicopter rope ladder with only one hand – safe, sound, and from his triumphant yells, utterly fearless.

As he looked at the stunt person's joyful expression, Thomas contemplated the enormity of what he had just accomplished. Crash had determined the exact speed he needed to get from one side of the building to the other in time, he had angled his motorcycle to be almost flat against the ground yet still managed to keep it in constant motion, he avoided most of the hits of those so-called assassins, he adjusted himself in time to throw himself off a building, he was composed enough to grasp the rope ladder to keep himself from falling – and he did it all while grinning like a maniac.

He could still get out of having to include the stunt program by telling Marie Claire that he was unimpressed. But he was a man of his word, and it was with this in mind that he approached Marie Claire and tapped her on the shoulder...

* * *

...and she jumped up in surprise, making Thomas snicker silently to himself. When she turned around and saw who wanted her attention, she blurted out, "Hunt?"

In a flash, Thomas was taken back to a night where they had this exact moment.

But it was not raining today. She did not need his umbrella.

"Marie Claire," he said to her. "We need to talk. Alone this time."

As she blinked at him, he took her by the hand to lead her to a quiet spot by the trailers, which were empty because the cast and crew were celebrating the stunt's success – and as he did so, he tried to not think about the fact that he had held her hand just like this the previous night.

Instead, he focused on his own annoyance at the situation in which he found himself, and he frowned as he spoke to her. "You've got a lot of nerve, Marie Claire. There aren't many who'll come and slap me on my nose like you did."

"I didn't do anything of the sort, Professor Hunt," responded Marie Claire promptly. "You must have confused me with another student who slapped your nose... although I do hope it's feeling better now."

This time, he was the one blinking at her. "No, Marie Claire, I meant-"

And he stopped when he saw that she was struggling, and failing to contain a mischievous grin.

 _She... she's joking! The little minx!_

Raising his eyebrow, he said, "Well, I would consider your plea for a stunt program as just that."

Somber now, she replied, "I had to get a point across."

"Well, you did."

"And?"

"And..." Thomas sighed, defeated. "And while I can give you a million reasons for why including a stunt program at Hollywood U would be a bad idea, and would result in untold chaos and destruction... you said that Hollywood U is a school dedicated to all aspects of filmmaking in Hollywood, and you're right."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "So, wait... what are you saying?"

 _Why does she look so suspicious?! I'm already conceding defeat here!_

Miffed, he dictated, "I'm saying you're the luckiest person on this campus right now, and I'm including the man who almost fell to his doom from an exploding roof. I'm saying that if this stunt program goes wrong in any way, it'll be on you. And," he growled at her, "I'm saying that if you _ever_ make demands of me in my own office again, I'll have you out of here faster than you can blink!"

If he had intended to scare her with his tirade, the slowly forming smile on her face told him that he had failed miserably.

"So... professor..." Marie Claire said sweetly, as if trying to smugly savor the moment of her triumph, "it sounds like you're indirectly saying that the stunt program is actually happening..."

 _Yes, that is exactly what I am saying, Marie Claire. Have you not heard of being graceful in victory?_

Outside, he said, "I am. Your friend, though not the best example of a person who values personal safety, is a capable stunt person. He took risks that required not only precise timing and athletic skill, but also one very important thing... bravery. Hollywood could use more people like him."

"Aww!" she squealed, her previous cloying tone of voice gone, replaced by genuine pride in her friend. "You think he shows promise, don't you?"

Thomas crossed his arms. "I did not say that!"

"But you meant it," she said, still smiling at him.

"And I did _not_ say _that,_ either. I am rarely impressed enough by students to think they will amount to anything. Most of your classmates are idiots."

"Hey!" she exclaimed indignantly. "My classmates are not- wait a minute..." She started to grin, and her grin grew and grew until it was a beaming, joyful smile, aimed at him.

Why did she keep fluctuating between different emotions? He was starting to worry about her health. "Marie Claire... are you alright?"

"Perfectly alright, Professor Hunt," she replied merrily, not losing her unusually gleeful expression.

"Then why do you look so... happy?"

"Because you just said most of my classmates are idiots. My _classmates._ " She stressed the last word for whatever reason before waggling her eyebrows at Thomas conspiratorially.

Still confused, but now wanting to get away from his student, who he suspected was even crazier than the one who had just driven a motorcycle off a building, he said, "Yes... well. I'll... be going now."

Without waiting for a reply, he turned and quickly walked away. He didn't know what made Marie Claire look like the gleeful cat that had gotten the canary... and honestly, he was probably better off not knowing.

* * *

That night, he decided that the inclusion of another program at Hollywood U merited a journal entry.

" _ **After acting like having a discussion with me was to wage war itself – she even went so far as to give a rousing talk to her accompanying troops, which I head quite clearly from inside my office – Marie Claire, by logic and by demonstration, showed me that stunt people deserve a place at Hollywood U. Changing my mind is a rare feat indeed, and she has done it.**_

" _ **I should also note here that she has an alarming tendency to switch moods quite quickly. I still have no idea why she waggled her eyebrows at me today as she grinned gleefully. Something about her classmates?"**_

He closed his journal and got ready for bed. After all, today, he had cleaned an entire house by himself _and_ had been proven wrong by a student, and that was definitely enough activity for a Wednesday.

* * *

(End of Chapter Twenty-Two.) (10/09/16.)

* * *

 **01\. Canon compliance:**

The HWU quests that took place in this chapter were Crash Landing (L11.2) and Diva and Conquer (Day 06 of 07).

* * *

 **02\. A tiny request:**

Thank you for reading my fanfic! :D If you've read this far, I hope you'll consider taking an extra minute to leave a review for Chapter Twenty-Two ("The Pen")? :D Reviews really mean a lot to me as a fanfiction writer because I get to hear your thoughts on something I worked really hard on ^_^ Even if it's the year 2075 or something, I would love to hear your thoughts on this chapter! :D

* * *

 **03\. Two interesting HWU things:**

One, the HWU online television series! :D Did you know that a fellow HWU fan, Zoe (her username on Tumblr is "dizzyclueless"), is diligently working on HWU: The Series? It's a fan-made online television series based on Thomas Hunt and other characters from Hollywood U! ^_^ (At the moment, I'm just a very enthusiastic supporter... but I would LOVE to be involved in HWU: The Series someday! :D) You can find out more about this AMAZING television project on Tumblr (their official Tumblr blog is "hwutheseries"). I just LOVE how Pixelberry and Hollywood U have inspired SO many of us fans! ^_^

And two, my second HWU fanfic! :D If you're interested in reading Marie Claire's perspective of this chapter (Chapter Twenty-Two), then I encourage you to read "NYTMC 2: Marie Claire's Interlude" ^_^ Here's the summary: _"(Part two of the NYTMC series.) (Midquel.) How did Marie Claire Hart fall in love with her most dashing, yet most cantankerous, professor? A retelling of my MC/Hunt fanfic "NYTMC 1: Not Your Typical Meet-Cute" from Marie Claire's perspective, in 100-word drabbles."_


	23. Day 18 (T): Pegasus (Level 11)

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Hollywood U. This amazing game belongs to Pixelberry! :)**

* * *

 **My responses to your reviews:**

87\. (14/09/16) fabiscate: Thank you for the feedback! :) I hope people follow your example and come out to say hello to me, since I would really like to meet them :P It's a relief that even if other people don't, at least you and a couple of other people like the romance in my story! :D

86\. (13/09/16) rysaspirit: I appreciate your insight! That's a reason I actually hadn't thought of, and while it makes sense, I still do hope that people aren't forgetting this fanfic :) Thank you for taking the time to write to me and I am very happy that you like my story the way it is :)

85\. (12/09/16) MiraMaria: Thank you! :) He does keep thinking of her, doesn't he? XD I'm glad you liked that last scene – and yes, that pen is making Thomas think of things! :P And it's not even the pen's fault, since it was sitting there innocently for we don't know how long before the Fear 101 lesson! XD

* * *

 **Chapter Twenty-Three: Day 18 (Thursday) – Pegasus (Level 11.2)**

* * *

After dropping by Andrew's office on Thursday morning to request a full meeting of upper-level university staff, Thursday afternoon saw Thomas addressing not only his fellow professors but also the university board members.

At the morning meeting, while he omitted Marie Claire's part in the decision, he did say, truthfully, that he believed that stunt people deserved a place at Hollywood U, and that he had asked Andrew to call the meeting to hear their thoughts on the matter.

While some reacted like he originally had, believing that stunt people were nothing more than adrenaline junkies who got paid to act like reckless hooligans on camera, others nodded thoughtfully and said that the idea was worth considering.

One had even brought up the point that the stunt major, should it come to pass, would be a very good minor for their action star majors, as it would teach them skills that they would need in the industry while first practicing them in the contained, relatively safe environment of the university.

One of the more traditional professors brought up the point that stunt work was not traditionally taught at universities, which mostly focused on the aspects of filmmaking that provided creative output. That professor was of the opinion that if stunt people were allowed to study at Hollywood U, it would set a precedent for majors with nebulous grading requirements.

After all, as that professor pointed out, it was relatively easier to judge the quality of a director's short film as opposed to, say, a stunt person's ability to avoid explosions, which really had more to do with self-preservation than actual skill.

Thomas countered that avoiding explosions, knowing when to leap off a building, and all the rest of it required very precise timing, no different from a movie star or a director or a fashionista in the their respective activities.

In fact, he argued, the very nature of stunt work required stunt people to be responsible not only for themselves but for others around them as well, and so the stunt program could actually teach students to be careful in their own crafts, though he admitted that there were likely certain stunt people who were less than aware of what was required for their specialty – but those would be weeded out by Hollywood U in due time.

And at last, after several reasonable points were countered by equally reasonable points, it was decided that the stunt program would be implemented at Hollywood U – on the condition that it ought to prove its worth as a major in some way, preferably a major project, before the end of its first semester.

In short, the stunt major was, like its true pink-haired mastermind, on probation.

It was ironic, but Thomas could appreciate the irony.

* * *

That evening, Thomas nodded at the doorman who checked his name – which was on the VIP list, of course – before opening the door to the grand ballroom of the Sheridan Hotel, the location of the annual Tastemaker's Toast. While media mogul Richard Sheridan was the original host of the Tastemaker's Toast, he had, for the past three years entrusted the task to his only child, Aria Sheridan.

While the Toast was said to be a meeting ground for upcoming trendsetters, which was true, there were traditionally two types of people invited: those seeking to establish trends, and those who had established trends in the past and were now here to evaluate the newbies.

In the past, Thomas had been invited as part of the former group – nobody then listened to his protests that he wanted to form his original directing style, not set a trend that everybody else would follow. Now, as a professor, he was present to be a critical eye to new talent, and to praise or condemn them, depending on their talent.

He had already viewed outfits by aspiring fashion designers and performances by different aspiring music artists – and judging by the way Aria was speaking into the microphone, he was about to witness yet another performance.

Standing to the left side of the stage, Aria held the microphone with one hand as she waved with the other. "Wheeeee! I'm so glad you're all here! The next performance is going to be such a treat for all of us! May I introduce... _Supernova!_ "

She quickly got off the stage, just in time for a dozen dancers to roll onto the stage themselves, wearing nothing but black leather and Grecian armor.

 _Leather and armor..._ Thomas mused. _Both associated with toughness; with strength and resilience... Rolling onto the stage may be their way of embodying limitless energy and enthusiasm... Wait, is that Dmitri?_

His diva student entered the stage, wearing shockingly colorful clothing while sitting on top of a muscular white horse with two large and oddly mechanical-looking wings, and began to sing. _"I came... I sang... I conquered..."_

As the horse stood on its two hind legs while kicking its two front legs back and forth, its wings spread wide, the previously-rolling dancers seamlessly shifted to a light ballet, looking strangely delicate despite their harsh choice of clothing.

 _The winged horse of mythology, Pegasus – representing the transformation from ordinary to extraordinary. Harsh clothing with ballet – the harshness of life with the lightness of dreams. Pegasus rearing up – reaching upward, reaching outward, towards the sky; towards one's aspirations and desires..._

His student was still singing, but Thomas was only half-listening, instead focused solely on the stage production of the performance. As Dmitri belted out lyrics about rising above, the Pegasus did actually rise, near-invisible ropes slowly lifting it off the ground with his student still astride, still singing.

 _The mechanical wings must represent additional protection – or perhaps additional strength, to better soar through the sky freely? Cutting through the air with metal, the triumph of created dreams over natural obstacles... The flight of Pegasus – the embodiment of the right to pursue one's dreams..._

" _And thiiiis is whoooo I aaaaam!"_ Dmitri finished with a flourish, arms spread wide in the air, almost as if he had wings of his own, face lit up in excitement.

After a pause, Aria cheered – and so did the rest of the room, bursting into applause. Dmitri was lowered to the stage so he could take his bows, but as soon as he got off, he dashed to the side of the stage to pull a protesting Marie Claire onstage.

In the middle of his analysis of the production, he had completely forgotten than Dmitri's partner in the class project was Marie Claire – and, as the backstage partner, she was likely the one to create the concept of the performance and to execute it so skillfully as to complement Dmitri's own powerhouse diva performance.

These were just theories, of course, and he would reserve full judgement until he received their essays about their project, in which they would clearly write what their own roles were in their collaboration.

But he knew Marie Claire, at least a little bit, and after their conversation during their first dance at the Fairy Kingdom Formal, he had no trouble believing that she would choose, for a production concept, the importance of staying true to one's dreams.

* * *

Later that night, Thomas watched with a slight sense of satisfaction as his two students basked in the light of their success. He did not need to wait until receiving their essays to find out which person did what after all.

Each time an industry luminary complimented Dmitri's performance, Dmitri would graciously thank that person before enthusiastically adding that Marie Claire's concept and execution of the themes were integral to the performance. Likewise, whenever Marie Claire's daring yet brilliant set design was praised, she would humbly receive their congratulations before deflecting their praise to Dmitri's powerful singing and emotional performance. They were a good pair, and would definitely receive a high grade for the diva project – not that he was going to tell them that any sooner than he had to.

Deciding that it was time to make his presence known to them, he moved through the crowd and tapped Marie Claire on the shoulder.

"Thank you so much for your- Oh! Professor Hunt!"

Seeing that Thomas wanted to talk to them, the person Marie Claire had been thanking gave her a cheerful wave and smile before disappearing into the crowd of people. Right after, the three of them moved wordlessly to the side of the stage, Thomas standing only an arm's length away from them as they checked that they had relative privacy.

After that, he spoke. "Marie Claire. Dylan. From your performance, which was in no way understated, I see that you have ignored the criticism of the public."

 _Let's see what they'll say to that..._

Dmitri spoke first. "Working with Marie Claire showed me that you need to do what you want to do, and nothing else. To make an impact on the industry, you must always have a clear vision of what you want."

"And don't you think it all worked out, Professor?" Marie Claire asked cheerfully.

Thomas gazed at them evenly. "Did it?"

She looked confused for a second – and then understood his hint. Biting her lip nervously, she took out her phone and read the new messages commenting on her performance. Thomas actually hadn't checked her account yet, and so had no idea what the public was saying about her, but judging from the look on her face, they did not have good things to say. Dmitri borrowed her phone to read as well – and soon regretted it if his cringe was anything to go by.

"So," Thomas said, testing them, "do you still think it was worth it?"

The two of them looked at each other, and as they did, Marie Claire stopped biting her lip, and Dmitri lost the disappointed look in his eyes. They turned back to him, more confident now, and Dmitri answered for the both of them. "Yes. Yes, we do."

Beside him, Marie Claire nodded resolutely.

 _Correct._

Thomas nodded. "Good. Then you took the right lesson from this."

While Dmitri looked only mildly surprised, Marie Claire gaped at Thomas as if she couldn't believe what he had just said. "Wait... what?! But I remember what you said! You told us yourself that we shouldn't be getting this kind of criticism!"

Her almost accusing tone made him roll his eyes. "No, Marie Claire. You really need to pay attention. If you had actually listened to me, then you should remember that I only _asked_ you if negative feedback was acceptable. I didn't say it wasn't."

Her brow furrowed as she went over that conversation in her mind. At last, she protested, "Well... maybe, but that was what you implied!"

Thomas replied, "Whatever implications you got were of your own creation, Marie Claire, because you didn't think negative feedback was acceptable. But it _is._ "

"It... is?"

He nodded. "I can't tell you how many negative reviews I got when I was new to the industry. Not because I'm embarrassed, but because I can't remember. There were that many. The critics called my work "pretentious" and "overly complex." They said that as a director, I was "alienating" and "unmarketable."

 _Those were hard times. I didn't know what the public in general thought of my work. I only had the words of the critics to go by. I would read the reviews over and over again, telling myself that I would prove them wrong someday. And when I did... it was wonderful._

But he didn't say those thoughts out loud. Instead, he continued, "But the so-called overly complex work by that so-called alienating director is now considered the greatest of its era. And my work reached that point because I never gave up. I knew my work; I understood my work."

"But," Marie Claire ventured hesitantly, "what if no one understands?"

Thomas shook his head. "That doesn't matter, Marie Claire. People don't have to understand, and they don't have to approve. If it feels right, you must ignore the criticism of others and stay true to yourself. Follow your heart. You need to be brave enough to try. After all, what if what you're involved in is truly special? What if the opportunity only comes once in your lifetime?"

As he spoke, he could see a strange, yet oddly soft, light enter Marie Claire's eyes.

If Thomas had to guess, he would say that she was gazing at him and through him; at something both beyond the earth and sky, and yet somehow just beyond her fingertips.

He wondered what the light in her eyes meant – after all, he had not told her anything terribly deep or surprising. All he had said to her was to not be afraid of trying something she felt was right, even at the cost of other people's esteem.

Thomas could have stood in that spot and wondered all night what she had thought after listening to him, but he didn't. He simply nodded to her and to Dmitri before walking away. Their conversation had, for some reason, taken a lot out of him, and all he wanted to do now was to say his goodbyes to the host of the party and drive to his house so that he could rest.

* * *

Later that night, just before Thomas fell completely asleep…

…for some inexplicable reason, a fraction of an old journal entry echoed in his mind.

" _ **I would only get involved with someone under such circumstances if they were truly special… once-in-a-lifetime…**_

" _ **Once-in-a-lifetime…"**_

But by the time he woke up the next morning, he had forgotten it completely.

* * *

(End of Chapter Twenty-Three.) (16/09/16.)

* * *

 **00\. Message from the birthday girl:**

Hello, everybody! As I mentioned in the previous chapter's author's notes, today (September 16, 2016, Friday) is my twenty-seventh birthday. Thank you for being here to celebrate with me!

I would really like to thank you all for being here; for reading this right now. Society tells you that at this age, you're supposed to have a exciting, high-paying job; an intelligent and loving spouse; and happy, healthy children... but I don't have any of those, and sometimes I feel like I'm being pressured to catch up to everybody else and have the life I'm supposed to have.

 _"I've loved movies for as long as I can remember. If a theater full of strangers of all ages and backgrounds can laugh together and cry together and learn together, well then maybe we're not so doomed as a species after all. Movies give me hope."_

That, as I am sure you all know, is a quote from Marie Claire's most dashing, yet most cantankerous professor. The way Thomas feels about movies is the way I feel about writing.

Writing this story for all of you has shown me that even if I don't have the life I'm 'supposed' to have at the moment, I am still doing something that matters. This fanfic has been such a bright spot in my life these past months because, when I post a new chapter of "Not Your Typical Meet-Cute," I am, in some small way, making people of different ages and backgrounds a tiny bit happier, even if it's only for about ten minutes every week, and it feels amazing that there are people around the world who look forward reading to what I have to offer.

Thank you for taking this journey from me, and I hope you'll stick around for the future chapters! :) Knowing that you're reading this right now makes this birthday a very happy one for me :)

* * *

 **01\. Canon compliance:**

The HWU quests that took place in this chapter were Crash Landing (L11.2) and Diva and Conquer (Day 07 of 07).

* * *

 **02\. A tiny request:**

Thank you for reading my fanfic! :D If you've read this far, I hope you'll consider taking an extra minute to leave a review for Chapter Twenty-Three ("Pegasus")? :D Reviews really mean a lot to me as a fanfiction writer because I get to hear your thoughts on something I worked really hard on ^_^ Even if it's the year 2075 or something, I would love to hear your thoughts on this chapter! :D

* * *

 **03\. Two interesting HWU things:**

One, the HWU online television series! :D Did you know that a fellow HWU fan, Zoe (her username on Tumblr is "dizzyclueless"), is diligently working on HWU: The Series? It's a fan-made online television series based on Thomas Hunt and other characters from Hollywood U! ^_^ (At the moment, I'm just a very enthusiastic supporter... but I would LOVE to be involved in HWU: The Series someday! :D) You can find out more about this AMAZING television project on Tumblr (their official Tumblr blog is "hwutheseries"). I just LOVE how Pixelberry and Hollywood U have inspired SO many of us fans! ^_^

And two, my second HWU fanfic! :D If you're interested in reading Marie Claire's perspective of this chapter (Chapter Twenty-Three), then I encourage you to read "NYTMC 2: Marie Claire's Interlude" ^_^ Here's the summary: _"(Part two of the NYTMC series.) (Midquel.) How did Marie Claire Hart fall in love with her most dashing, yet most cantankerous, professor? A retelling of my MC/Hunt fanfic "NYTMC 1: Not Your Typical Meet-Cute" from Marie Claire's perspective, in 100-word drabbles."_


	24. Days 19-21 (F-S): Animals (Levels 11-12)

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Hollywood U. This amazing game belongs to Pixelberry! :)**

* * *

 **My responses to your reviews:**

(This chapter and the next chapter were both posted on the same day, so you can find my responses to your reviews in the next chapter :P)

* * *

 **Chapter Twenty-Four: Days 19 to 21 (Friday to Sunday) – Animals (Levels 11.2-12)**

* * *

 **Day 19 (Friday):**

 _Is that a shark!?_

After several blinks, Thomas confirmed that he was not hallucinating. There was, indeed, a fully-grown shark swimming happily in the bowels of the new Stunt Dorm.

 _But... why would there be a shark here?! What if it eats a student?!_

Then, upon remembering that it was the university board that had designed the dorm, he thought, _They must_ really _not want any stunt people at Hollywood U..._

Trying to find something else to think about, Thomas raised his eyes... only to see crates of explosives on the dorm roof.

 _I'm... just going to walk away now..._

* * *

 **Day 20 (Saturday):**

If Thomas could, he would ban all students from his preferred restaurants and cafes.

Unfortunately, he did not have that power. As a result, his restful moment with a cup of coffee was disturbed by the new stunt majors nearby, who were discussing what to name the shark that was residing with them.

In the end, names with clear cinematic and aquatic origins, such as "Jaws" and "Nemo," were dropped in favor of the most ridiculous name Thomas had _ever_ heard.

 _Nobody should have to live with the name Sharky McSharkface._

He really did feel sorry for the poor animal.

* * *

 **Day 21 (Sunday):**

If Thomas didn't know better, he would think that Mischief was frowning.

 _But birds don't frown... right?_

Exasperated, he told her a second time, "It should be clear from the contents of our plates that the peanuts are for you, and the pistachios are for me. You cannot have any pistachios."

Mischief blinked – and after that blink, her eyes looked suspiciously watery.

"You... oh, all right!" he huffed, exchanging their plates.

Flapping her wings cheerfully, Mischief started to eat. After consuming three peeled pistachios, she let out a happy caw at Thomas, who was sulking.

"Yes, yes, you're welcome..."

* * *

(End of Chapter Twenty-Four.) (24/09/16.)

* * *

 **01\. Canon compliance:**

The HWU quests that took place on Day 19, Friday were Crash Landing (L11.2) and Out of the Woods (L12). The only HWU quest took place on Day 20, Saturday was Out of the Woods (L12). Similarly, the only HWU quest took place on Day 21, Sunday was Out of the Woods (L12).

* * *

 **02\. A tiny request:**

Thank you for reading my fanfic! :D If you've read this far, I hope you'll consider taking an extra minute to leave a review for Chapter Twenty-Four ("Animals")? :D Reviews really mean a lot to me as a fanfiction writer because I get to hear your thoughts on something I worked really hard on ^_^ Even if it's the year 2075 or something, I would love to hear your thoughts on this chapter! :D

* * *

 **03\. Two interesting HWU things:**

One, the HWU online television series! :D Did you know that a fellow HWU fan, Zoe (her username on Tumblr is "dizzyclueless"), is diligently working on HWU: The Series? It's a fan-made online television series based on Thomas Hunt and other characters from Hollywood U! ^_^ (At the moment, I'm just a very enthusiastic supporter... but I would LOVE to be involved in HWU: The Series someday! :D) You can find out more about this AMAZING television project on Tumblr (their official Tumblr blog is "hwutheseries"). I just LOVE how Pixelberry and Hollywood U have inspired SO many of us fans! ^_^

And two, my second HWU fanfic! :D If you're interested in reading Marie Claire's perspective of this chapter (Chapter Twenty-Four), then I encourage you to read "NYTMC 2: Marie Claire's Interlude" ^_^ Here's the summary: _"(Part two of the NYTMC series.) (Midquel.) How did Marie Claire Hart fall in love with her most dashing, yet most cantankerous, professor? A retelling of my MC/Hunt fanfic "NYTMC 1: Not Your Typical Meet-Cute" from Marie Claire's perspective, in 100-word drabbles."_


	25. Day 22a (M): Selecting Films (Level 13)

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Hollywood U. This amazing game belongs to Pixelberry! :)**

* * *

 **My responses to your reviews:**

95\. (22/09/16) Arden: Hee hee! :D Good things come to those who wait :D

94\. (19/09/16) Erikalail: Thank you for the birthday wishes, fellow September celebrant! :P (When is your birthday, by the way? A day before mine or a day after mine? Either way, a late happy birthday to you! :D) As for the quest you asked about... well, I'm kind of keeping certain things about this fanfic super secret for now, but if you keep reading, you'll find out one way or the other! :P

93\. (18/09/16) MiraMaria: Thanks! :D I really like writing conversations between the two of them :D

92\. (17/09/16) TheLogicalDreamerandWriter: Thomas and Marie Claire ARE cute together, aren't they? :P I'll think I'll keep that a secret for now XD so keep reading to find out! :P

91\. (17/09/16) Annabeth: Thank you for the birthday wishes, and I'm happy you're enjoying my writing! :)

90\. (16/09/16) Aza White: Those are things I work hard on so that I can write this story the best way I can, so I'm really glad to hear that; thank you! :D

89\. (16/09/16) rysaspirit: Haha, thanks! :) I thought that a person as intense about filmmaking and production as he is would be very analytical, so it made sense to write him like that :D

88\. (16/09/16) Guest: After you left your review, I went back over my story again and found that I agreed with you about the romance progressing too fast without proper development. Thank you so much for your feedback, because it was something I really needed to hear and act upon so that I could stay true to Thomas' character! :)

* * *

 **Chapter Twenty-Five: Day 22a (Monday) – Selecting Films (Level 13)**

* * *

Thomas stared at Andrew. "You're going to have to run that by me again."

It was four o'clock in the morning on a Monday. Andrew had called Thomas half an hour ago to say that he was coming to discuss a university matter with him, and while Thomas had wanted to tell him to wait until later in the mornings where humans were supposed to be awake, he knew that Andrew would not have made the imposition if the matter had not been important.

However, it was one thing to know that, and another to tell himself to wake up and have his own self obey. Thus, when Andrew rang the doorbell, it was a mildly sleepy Thomas who had opened the door to him and let him in. From previous visits to his house, Andrew knew the way to the living room and Thomas had offered him a drink – and he himself had imbibed a swallow of scotch before realizing that drinking alcohol was not the best way for said sleepy man to rid himself of that affliction. The disarming warmth of the scotch had distracted him, prompting him to ask Andrew to repeat himself.

Using what Thomas suspected were fewer words than before, Andrew did repeat himself, informing Thomas that one of his students had made a successful submission to the Sundance Selection Committee.

"That's very nice," Thomas grumbled, "but why did I need to be informed in person at four o'clock in the morning?"

"Because the university wants to send a representative to the Sundance Festival to oversee the film screening," answered Andrew. "It felt like the reasonable thing to do considering that the head producer of the film is a student who is on academic probation. We want you there to monitor Ms. Hart's conduct as well as to judge the quality of her first film of note."

Thomas' eyes widened in shock. "Clash at Sunset was chosen? But... that's impossible! They only finished filming the final stunt on Wednesday! The process for selecting films for the Sundance Festival takes much longer than five days!"

Shrugging, Andrew replied, "Well, they must have had a skilled editor work on the footage to get it done in time, then."

 _Dean did mention that he was helping with the special effects. He must have edited the film as well._

"I see. And when am I to leave?"

Andrew handed him an envelope. Opening it, Thomas took out a plane ticket for a flight that was-

" _Two and a half hours from now?!"_

Thomas had his doubts about whether he would actually make it in time for the flight, but with his expert packing skills and Andrew's crazed stunt driving, they made it to the airport in record time, and after a two-hour flight with only a small amount of turbulence, his plane landed in Utah, where the Sundance Festival was held every year.

After getting into a taxi, he told the driver the name of the hotel in which the university had booked him a room for the duration of the festival, he arrived, checked in, placed his luggage in his room, and went out to have breakfast before going back to the hotel. He was just going past the concierge desk when he bumped into somebody who looked quite familiar.

"Hello, Marie Claire."

"Professor Hunt!" exclaimed his very surprised student. "What are you doing here?"

* * *

(End of Chapter Twenty-Five.) (24/09/16.)

* * *

 **01\. Canon compliance:**

The only HWU quest that took place in this chapter was Sundance (L13).

* * *

 **02\. A tiny request:**

Thank you for reading my fanfic! :D If you've read this far, I hope you'll consider taking an extra minute to leave a review for Chapter Twenty-Five ("Selecting Films")? :D Reviews really mean a lot to me as a fanfiction writer because I get to hear your thoughts on something I worked really hard on ^_^ Even if it's the year 2075 or something, I would love to hear your thoughts on this chapter! :D

* * *

 **03\. Two interesting HWU things:**

One, the HWU online television series! :D Did you know that a fellow HWU fan, Zoe (her username on Tumblr is "dizzyclueless"), is diligently working on HWU: The Series? It's a fan-made online television series based on Thomas Hunt and other characters from Hollywood U! ^_^ (At the moment, I'm just a very enthusiastic supporter... but I would LOVE to be involved in HWU: The Series someday! :D) You can find out more about this AMAZING television project on Tumblr (their official Tumblr blog is "hwutheseries"). I just LOVE how Pixelberry and Hollywood U have inspired SO many of us fans! ^_^

And two, my second HWU fanfic! :D If you're interested in reading Marie Claire's perspective of this chapter (Chapter Twenty-Five), then I encourage you to read "NYTMC 2: Marie Claire's Interlude" ^_^ Here's the summary: _"(Part two of the NYTMC series.) (Midquel.) How did Marie Claire Hart fall in love with her most dashing, yet most cantankerous, professor? A retelling of my MC/Hunt fanfic "NYTMC 1: Not Your Typical Meet-Cute" from Marie Claire's perspective, in 100-word drabbles."_


	26. Day 22b (M): Watching Films (Level 13)

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Hollywood U. This amazing game belongs to Pixelberry! :)**

* * *

 **My responses to your reviews:**

100\. (28/09/16) MiraMaria: That omake was fun to write! It's too bad that it wouldn't have made sense in my fanfic because I'm going for one hundred percent canon compliance, but it was still fun to imagine :D And as for the deleted scene about the pen, I'm actually planning to include it in the story again because I think it was a mistake on my part to delete that particular scene. I'll do that sometime in the future :)

99\. (28/09/16) MiraMaria: He was sleepy but he had to go anyway :D

98\. (28/09/16) MiraMaria: Mischief has good taste when it comes to food :P

97\. (26/09/16) hp and stargirl: I agree; it wouldn't be like canon if Thomas fell in love with Marie Claire at first sight or something like that. I'm going to try to make the pacing of their story realistic so that the romance won't seem out-of-place when it DOES happen :)

96\. (24/09/16) kuladekiwi: I'm glad you like my story! :D And thank you for the birthday wishes! :)

* * *

 **Chapter Twenty-Six: Day 22b (Monday) – Watching Films (Level 13)**

* * *

From seeing her suitcase, Thomas concluded that Marie Claire and her entourage – most of whom where a few feet behind her, either on their phones or having conversations in low tones, had arrived in Utah sometime after he had, as they had not yet checked in their luggage.

Marie Claire herself looked a little tired from the short trip, but on the whole, she had a cheerful demeanor, no doubt looking forward to the experience of her first movie premiere. Considering that she was the only student at Hollywood U who was had produced a movie for this particular Sundance Festival, she really ought to have concluded that he was there for the purpose of seeing how the press and the public would react to her first movie.

Not knowing if her inability to reach the correct conclusion was due to her fatigue, her modesty, or her occasional lapse in reasonable judgment, he replied, "I'm here because you're my star pupil, Marie Claire! How could I possibly miss your first movie premiere?"

She brightened, her eyes shining as she opened her mouth to say something- and quite suddenly, her shoulders drooped and her lips formed an unhappy frown.

"You're being sarcastic, aren't you?" she asked sadly.

Truth be told, he _was_ being sarcastic. Thomas had many, many students, and to single out a freshman in her first semester and call her his star pupil was a ridiculous notion because he had scores of students with more experience and bigger portfolios.

However, being his star pupil was not the same as being his most promising student. A star pupil could easily be eclipsed by another – it was all a matter of the completion of the right project – but to be promising meant to have untapped potential; to have the possibility of reaching untold heights. And Thomas, in the privacy of his journal, had already acknowledged to himself that the student two feet in front of him, who completed projects as quick as lightning while enhancing her natural skills through practice – was not only a promising student, but his _most_ promising student.

 _She doesn't know that, though... and I'm not about to tell her anytime soon!_

Therefore, instead of reassuring her, he instead raised his eyebrow. "Very astute."

He continued, "The university asked me to oversee your premiere to judge the reception of your second project. Furthermore, my secondary purpose is to remind you that you need to complete three projects _and_ have endorsements from three Hollywood professionals."

She smiled confidently at him. "That's easy! The music video and the movie are both done, so I just have one more project to go!"

"True. And how will you procure your third high-profile project?"

Marie Claire looked towards the entrance of the hotel, outside of which movie posters on the other side of the street could be seen. "Well, I'm hoping that after our premiere, we could meet people who would want to collaborate on my third project. It's just going to be tricky finding people who are based in Los Angeles since people from all over have come here..."

 _That is a sound plan, but..._

He nodded. "That is a possibility, but remember that there are several movies being shown at this festival. If your premiere coincides with another one that has more high-profile persons or has had more publicity, the audience you desire may choose to go to that movie premiere instead of yours. After all, there are many producers just like you who want to shine at Sundance."

She paused, considering his words. Taking her right hand and curling her fingers in front of her, she rested her chin on her knuckles as she thought of a response.

After a few moments, she looked up, letting her hand fall to the side as she spoke.

"While that _is_ something we should keep in mind, I think that we have some advantages on our side. One of the stars of our movie, Lisa, already had an established career, and I know that her fanbase has been looking forward to his movie, so they've been spreading the word around. I've asked the rest of the cast and crew to be more involved as well. Together, we have a number of contacts in Los Angeles, so we're hopeful that some of them will be at our premiere tonight."

 _She knows that a producer's job doesn't stop after the filming of the last scene. Good._

"And do you have your endorsements from three major Hollywood professionals? Don't forget _that_ part of your requirements!"

"No problem there!" Marie Claire grinned. "I know that Lisa will vouch for me, and depending on how the premiere goes, Anders Stone might vouch for me as well! In fact," she continued, "he's also contributed to making this premiere a success. _Bianca-_ " she grimaced as she said her classmate's name, "is one of our main actors, so he's pulled out all the stops with the funding and publicity and everything."

 _But I thought she already had funding. How did Anders Stone get into the picture?_

"From what you told me after your tank incident," at that point, he leveled a mild glare at her, "the venture was already funded by your benefactor. I believe you said that you were given one million dollars to create Clash at Sunset. Did Anders give you that sum? Is he your benefactor?"

Marie Claire shook her head. "I really don't think he is. That one million dollars was from my benefactor, and after buying sets and props and equipment, we used most of the remaining money to... um... rent the tank."

She closed her eyes for a moment, a guilty expression flitting across her face for a few seconds, before she opened her eyes and continued.

"And after what happened... happened... we used the last of it to make reparations. Once we had done that, there was nothing left. We were desperate."

Things were suddenly much clearer to Thomas, including why Marie Claire had included her nemesis in her first movie. "And you had no choice, so you went to Anders Stone. He made you sign a contract full of legalese that would have confused most experienced agents – and an agent in his freshman year even more so."

Sighing, she said, "Anders actually offered us fifteen million dollars before. We didn't take it at the time because we didn't need it. But after we lost the rest of our money because of the tank, we went back to him-"

"-and he was all too happy to give you the fifteen million dollars, but only after he made significant changes to the original contract he offered," Thomas finished knowingly.

Marie Claire gave a bitter, self-deprecating smile. "And that's why you're the professor. That's exactly what happened."

* * *

She continued, "But Ethan and I knew that we had no choice. We had to make the movie. After our meeting in your office, I received a letter from my benefactor, saying that we didn't find a way to finish the movie, there would be _consequences._ And I didn't want to get expelled. And-"

"And what?" Thomas asked, though he suspected he knew exactly what Marie Claire was going to say.

 _It was her first movie. She couldn't give it up._

"And we had already put so much work into it. So much hope. I didn't want my first movie to fail. I know I came to Hollywood U to be a movie star, but producing Clash at Sunset was special to me. I had to save it any way I could."

Both of them were silent after that, no doubt both contemplating the difficulty of making decisions in the filmmaking industry. Thomas himself, in a very different way, had made a decision about his career that was intimately connected to the same secret society that he suspected had given Marie Claire the original one million dollars.

 _My last movie. Her first movie._

He was starting to see that they had no intention of stopping.

They had first taught Marie Claire to be grateful to them. Afterwards, to fear them. They were already threatening her with _consequences._ While Thomas himself had told her in his office that day that actions could have unforeseen consequences, he knew without a doubt that the _consequences_ Marie Claire's benefactor had referred to were much more sinister. But she'd dodged that bullet by seeing the movie to completion, and after this movie, she would grow more indebted to them, accepting more projects and resources from them until they held her career in the palm of their hand.

But he wasn't sure. If he warned her, and if he turned out to be right, two things could happen.

While it was technically possible that she would distrust him and choose to side with them, perhaps even tell them everything Thomas told her about them, he thought it was unlikely. They may have provided the finances for her tuition and for her first movie, but they were not the ones who had guided them day in and day out, enabling Marie Claire to grow in her skills. That role of guide and teacher belonged to Thomas, and perhaps it was naive of him, but a part of him believed that she would value his contributions to her life over theirs.

Therefore, the more likely scenario was that she would believe what he told her, and side with him. And he could see the results of that decision in his mind – her name blacklisted, her skills ignored. And unlike himself, Marie Claire did not have an established career. To anger that society so early in her career would almost guarantee that she would have no career at all. Could he condemn her to such a fate?

* * *

Deep in his own thoughts, Thomas belatedly realized that Marie Claire was speaking again.

"-did end up finishing the movie, so all's well that ends well! Anders Stone is a jerk, but at least he was on our side this time, and if things go according to plan here at Sundance, he might even vouch for me at my hearing!"

Nodding, he replied, "As a very well-known producer, his stamp of approval would heavily sway the administration's opinion in your favor. But I would caution you to be careful in your dealings with him. What you experienced is only one of the tricks he has up his sleeve."

Marie Claire frowned in thought.

"Do you think he'll act that way towards us after this movie? After all, if Clash at Sunset is a success, we might work together in the future. Would he try the same thing on us?"

"It doesn't have to be the same thing," Thomas told her. "Producers like him are used to getting what they want. He may be working with you now, but if you don't maintain a good working relationship – which, to him, would entail your being pathetically grateful for his deigning to collaborate with you – he may impede your success in the industry in other ways. If you hadn't asked him for his fifteen million dollars, he could have sabotaged your movie even further to make you even more desperate."

She blinked at that. "What could he have done? Out funding was shot – the movie was finished. We couldn't have been any more desperate that that."

Thomas chuckled.

"That was a low point, but imagine if he had convinced the producers of the Lisa Mermaid show to create a movie for the series. Faced with conflicting schedules and uneven loyalties, Lisa Valentine would have had to leave your project for his, especially if there was a clause in her original Lisa Mermaid contract stating that she would have to cooperate in all spin-off projects."

"But- but she would have refused!"

"Maybe she would have," he agreed, "but if I remember correctly, Lisa Valentine was a minor at the time, so she would have had no control in reneging on the original contract. She would have been obligated to participate in the Lisa Mermaid movie by the person who had signed the contract in her place-"

" _-Carlotta!"_ Marie Claire hissed, her eyes narrowed.

 _Who's Carlotta? Lisa's mother? Her manager?_

"And if _that_ had happened," Thomas continued, "all footage with her would have been unusable, her fanbase would shift from promoting your movie to promoting Anders Stone's movie, and you would have no funding to hire anybody else to re-shoot all of Lisa's scenes. And if you had gone to Anders Stone after that, he would have been open to giving Lisa Valentine back to you, in exchange for concessions... for example, he might have asked for co-producing rights to your next five movies. And you-"

"-would have agreed," Marie Claire resignedly finished for him. "If that had happened, if we had lost Lisa, Ethan and I would have agreed to anything."

He nodded. "He is successful for a reason. Work with him and learn from him, but I would be careful around him if I were you."

Marie Claire tilted her head as she studied him intently. "You know what..."

 _Why is she looking at me like that?_

"...we should hang out more often," she finished, grinning at him.

Thomas' eyes widened. Feeling extremely indignant, he exclaimed, "What are you talking about?! I don't hang out with students! I-"

"I was just kidding! Well, mostly," she said cheekily, sticking her tongue out at him. "If I thought you would say yes, I would totally invite you to hang out with us! But," Marie Claire said very sincerely, "I really appreciate your advice. I know you didn't come here because I was your star pupil, but I hope I make you proud anyway."

He could see that she was a little embarrassed to say something so heartfelt, but she steadfastly met his gaze, not looking away as she smiled at him.

But never mind _her_ embarrassment! _He_ was embarrassed at hearing something like that from her, considering that he had pushed for her expulsion himself immediately after the tank incident. Not knowing what to do, Thomas pretended to give a cough so that he could use his hand to cover what he was sure was a slight blush on his cheeks.

A second later, when he was sure he looked sufficiently composed, he lowered his hand as he put on a neutral expression.

"As it seems that you are occasionally capable of acting like a professional, I have _some_ hope that your first movie will not be a complete disaster. Do not prove me wrong. And remember – do not give your trust out freely. Keep your guard up."

Having given Marie Claire his particular brand of pseudo-encouragement, Thomas nodded at her before turning his back and walking to the elevator of the hotel.

There was no point in guessing what Marie Claire's movie would be like, because in Sundance, watching films was quite a selective thing, and the applause at the end of a movie premiere determined its fate...

* * *

...and determine fate it did, because that night, after the stunning last scene of Clash at Sunset, the credits rolled as most of the audience stood on their feet, their thunderous applause making it clear to everybody there that Clash at Sunset was, without question, one of the most successful films at the festival.

Thomas clapped with the rest of them. While he himself did not give it a standing ovation, he nevertheless clapped _hard_ because the movie deserved his applause – and from his vantage point, he could see Marie Claire and the rest of the Clash at Sunset cast and crew beaming happily, looking like they were on top of the world.

* * *

(End of Chapter Twenty-Six.) (08/10/16.)

* * *

 **01\. Canon compliance:**

The only HWU quest that took place in this chapter was Sundance (L13).

* * *

 **02\. A tiny request:**

Thank you for reading my fanfic! :D If you've read this far, I hope you'll consider taking an extra minute to leave a review for Chapter Twenty-Six ("Watching Films")? :D Reviews really mean a lot to me as a fanfiction writer because I get to hear your thoughts on something I worked really hard on ^_^ Even if it's the year 2075 or something, I would love to hear your thoughts on this chapter! :D

* * *

 **03\. Two interesting HWU things:**

One, the HWU online television series! :D Did you know that a fellow HWU fan, Zoe (her username on Tumblr is "dizzyclueless"), is diligently working on HWU: The Series? It's a fan-made online television series based on Thomas Hunt and other characters from Hollywood U! ^_^ (At the moment, I'm just a very enthusiastic supporter... but I would LOVE to be involved in HWU: The Series someday! :D) You can find out more about this AMAZING television project on Tumblr (their official Tumblr blog is "hwutheseries"). I just LOVE how Pixelberry and Hollywood U have inspired SO many of us fans! ^_^

And two, my second HWU fanfic! :D If you're interested in reading Marie Claire's perspective of this chapter (Chapter Twenty-Six), then I encourage you to read "NYTMC 2: Marie Claire's Interlude" ^_^ Here's the summary: _"(Part two of the NYTMC series.) (Midquel.) How did Marie Claire Hart fall in love with her most dashing, yet most cantankerous, professor? A retelling of my MC/Hunt fanfic "NYTMC 1: Not Your Typical Meet-Cute" from Marie Claire's perspective, in 100-word drabbles."_


	27. Day 23a (T): New Voice (Level 13)

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Hollywood U. This amazing game belongs to Pixelberry! :)**

* * *

 **My responses to your reviews:**

102\. (14/10/16) MiraMaria: Thanks! :P

101\. (14/10/16) hp and stargirl: I'm really glad you like it! :D I do not have any plans at the moment to write High School Story fanfiction or Choices fanfiction, and I am also not looking for a beta or a co-writer at the moment :) However, if there are any mistakes in my fanfic, please feel free to point them out, because with constructive criticism comes improvement! :) And speaking of ideas, what are those ideas that are brewing? :P Do you also write fanfiction? If you don't you should... it's a lot of fun! :D

* * *

 **Chapter Twenty-Seven: Day 23a (Tuesday) – New Voice (Level 13)**

* * *

While Thomas had attended the VIP party the previous night, it was only to catch up with a few industry friends he had whom he rarely had the chance to meet. The VIP party at the Sundance Festival was considered a seen-to-be-seen event, which was perfect for young professionals like his students, but slightly tedious for established Hollywood names like Thomas.

The Sundance Festival closing banquet, on the other hand, had a much more useful purpose, though it could easily be missed if one were to judge merely by the looks of the place. At first glance, the closing banquet seemed to be an unnecessarily opulent, almost wasteful event, what with the expensive gift bags for all the guests and the never-ending bounty of gourmet food available to all.

However, the extravagance of the party was a symbol of the exclusivity of the Sundance Festival as well as the Hollywood industry in general, showing all who were there the riches and beauty the heights the filmmaking industry had to offer to the lucky few who could make it to the top. The plates of caviar, brie, lobster, steak, and chef's salads that arrived at Thomas' table not long after he sat down only served to prove that fact.

After he and everybody else finished eating and had their plates taken away, the lights went dim – a sure signal that the awards would soon be given out. As a hush fell over the audience, in his mind, he started to go through them all.

 _Let's see... Grand Jury Prize; only given to those with at least five years of experience in the field... Directing Award; of course, only directors are elligible; Special Jury Award for Social Impact; not applicable to Clash at Sunset... World Cinema Award for Unique Vision and Design; I don't think that applies to Clash at Sunset either..._

As he thought of all the awards that would be handed out tonight, he absently noted that his student would be eligible for only two of them: the Audience Award for New Voice and the Audience Award for Breakthrough Talent, both of which were designed for first-timers at the Sundance Festival.

After a few moments, two figures entered the stage from stage left. The first was Chance Duncan, a celebrity basketball player who had been having an unprecedented winning streak as of this year's basketball season.

While celebrities were usually requested to present awards, normally those chosen were celebrities in the filmmaking industry, and Thomas was mystified as to why a celebrity sports figure was presenting the first award at the Sundance Festival – although when he noticed the second person, who was none other than Zoe Rodriguez, a famous action movie star known both for doing her own stunts _and_ for requesting that the most dangerous stunts be written into her scripts.

He didn't know if Zoe did that to show off her own bravado or purely for the adrenaline rush, but as a vision came to him of Marie Claire riding a charging tank underwater with sharks circling around her, led by none other than Sharky McSharkface, Thomas was silently thankful that his student seemed to be thoughtlessly reckless, not intentionally so.

Chance spoke first, greeting the audience, while Zoe, while holding a gold envelope in her hand, informed them that they were there to present the first award – one of the two that Marie Claire could win, as it was specifically for new talent at the Sundance Festival. Thomas was about to straighten up in his seat in slight excitement...

...when Chance got on one knee to deliver a poorly-worded marriage proposal. Thomas had no idea why Chance proposed with a line the related to his industry rather than hers by saying that it would be a slam dunk if she would be his wife, but Zoe didn't seem to notice that, thought she did say that he had given her a cheesy line.

The applause of most of the audience in response to the happy event only increased when Chance opened the small box in his hand, revealing an engagement ring with a diamond so large that if Thomas didn't know better, he would claim he was blinded momentarily when it twinkled in the spotlight as Chance slid it into Zoe's left ring finger.

Finally, after that was over with, Chance announced that it was finally time for the awards, which, frankly, Thomas was much more interested in.

Smiling at the audience, Zoe said to the waiting crowd, "The winner for New Voice is..."

She opened her gold envelope and read the name written inside and showed it to Chance, who grinned as he announced, "...it's Marie Claire Hart, the producer of Clash at Sunset!"

* * *

(End of Chapter Twenty-Seven.) (22/10/16.)

* * *

 **01\. Canon compliance:**

The only HWU quest that took place in this chapter was Sundance (L13).

* * *

 **02\. A tiny request:**

Thank you for reading my fanfic! :D If you've read this far, I hope you'll consider taking an extra minute to leave a review for Chapter Twenty-Seven ("New Voice")? :D Reviews really mean a lot to me as a fanfiction writer because I get to hear your thoughts on something I worked really hard on ^_^ Even if it's the year 2075 or something, I would love to hear your thoughts on this chapter! :D

* * *

 **03\. Two interesting HWU things:**

One, the HWU online television series! :D Did you know that a fellow HWU fan, Zoe (her username on Tumblr is "dizzyclueless"), is diligently working on HWU: The Series? It's a fan-made online television series based on Thomas Hunt and other characters from Hollywood U! ^_^ (At the moment, I'm just a very enthusiastic supporter... but I would LOVE to be involved in HWU: The Series someday! :D) You can find out more about this AMAZING television project on Tumblr (their official Tumblr blog is "hwutheseries"). I just LOVE how Pixelberry and Hollywood U have inspired SO many of us fans! ^_^

And two, my second HWU fanfic! :D If you're interested in reading Marie Claire's perspective of this chapter (Chapter Twenty-Seven), then I encourage you to read "NYTMC 2: Marie Claire's Interlude" ^_^ Here's the summary: _"(Part two of the NYTMC series.) (Midquel.) How did Marie Claire Hart fall in love with her most dashing, yet most cantankerous, professor? A retelling of my MC/Hunt fanfic "NYTMC 1: Not Your Typical Meet-Cute" from Marie Claire's perspective, in 100-word drabbles."_


	28. Day 23b (T): Wise Voice (Level 13)

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Hollywood U. This amazing game belongs to Pixelberry! :)**

* * *

 **My responses to your reviews:**

103\. (30/10/16) MiraMaria: Yup, he totally does! :) I think he really likes being a professor, even though he won't admit it :P

* * *

 **Chapter Twenty-Eight: Day 23b (Tuesday) – Wise Voice (Level 13)**

* * *

Upon the announcement of Marie Claire's name, the trumpeter of the small band to the right of the stage played a short, triumphant solo lasting the few seconds it took for the spotlights above to spin dramatically before finding Marie Claire. While Thomas' view was blocked by a wildly celebrating Addison, he did see that Marie Claire was still seated, presumably in shock.

 _Being shown at Sundance is already an honor... perhaps she wasn't expecting to win an award on top of that?_

A shaken Marie Claire staggered to her feet, looking like she could be blown away by the slightest gust of air... or, in this case, the bellowing cheers of her close friends and her entourage.

"You did it!" squealed Addison, jumping up and down in excitement. "Go get that statue, Marie Claire!"

At the mention of the statue, Marie Claire's eyes widened as she said something Thomas couldn't hear, before she shook her head and ran to the stage amidst the loud applause of the entire room, brimming with joy as she hugged Chance and Zoe before taking her award and facing the crowd – which was staring right at her.

Taken aback, she stuttered into the microphone, "I... I..."

 _This is strange,_ mused Thomas as he studied her slightly panicked expression. _With her natural confidence, she should have no trouble addressing a crowd of this size. She is an aspiring movie star, after all._

After a moment, she blinked and flashed everybody a bright smile. "I want to thank my cast and crew!"

She held her arm out to her table with a flourish, and the overhead spotlights obligingly shone on her entourage, who, from their surprised expressions, were not expecting to suddenly have the attention of the crowd. They waved shyly at the clapping audience.

"For many of us," as Marie Claire began her speech, everybody turned and focused their attention on her, "Clash at Sunset was special. It was both Addison and Lisa's first time to star as leads in a movie. And creating a movie means having to keep track of a ton of details – Ethan must not have gotten any sleep while we were in production!"

At Marie Claire's table, Thomas could see Addison say something as she nudged Ethan playfully, whose short reply made her giggle.

"When there were complications on the set, Holly's brilliant rewrite of the ending not only made Bianca's character more believable, it also gave Dean the platform to work his special effects magic!"

Dean gave a small laugh while Holly smiled in satisfaction.

"Acting, make-up, wardrobe, rewriting, post-production... No offense to everybody else here, but I believe that Clash at Sunset had the best cast and crew in all of Hollywood! We worked as a team, guys, and this isn't just my award – it's _our_ award!"

She waved enthusiastically to her table, whose joyful shouts of, "We love you, Marie Claire!" and "We did it!" could be heard by everybody in the room.

"Thank you all for watching our movie, everybody – and look out, because there's more where that came from!"

As the exit music started to play, Chance and Zoe led her offstage. She made her way back to her table, where she was showered with hugs from her friends, who all looked very happy. Meanwhile, onstage, supermodel Victoria Swenson announced that the winner of the Special Jury award for Breakthrough Talent was...

"...Bianca Stone, for her stunning android performance in Clash at Sunset!"

Not to be outdone, Bianca's friends cheered loudly for her as well as she ran to the stage, and while Thomas was still registering his surprise that not one, but _two_ of this students had won awards at their first Sundance Festival, he was snapped out of it by the last thing Bianca said to the crowd.

"...I just heard from my dad that we've sold the movie for twenty-five million dollars!"

Thomas was struck dumb.

 _Twenty-five million dollars? Did she say_ ** _twenty-five million dollars!?_**

* * *

There were many more awards that were given out over the course of the evening, but Thomas was too distracted to pay much attention, his mind on the staggering sum for which Clash at Sunset had been sold. Twenty-five million dollars wasn't just a massive amount of money – it was also unheard of in the history of the Sundance Festival. How had they managed this?

As soon as he heard Bianca make the announcement, he quickly looked at Marie Claire's table to see if she and her entourage had known. But they hadn't – Thomas hadn't needed any time to decipher their shocked expressions before concluding that of the cast, it must have been something only Bianca had known, most likely due to her father, who had been Clash at Sunset's main financier.

And while Anders had shown great skill in negotiating the sale of the movie for such a large sum of money in a very short period of time, Thomas didn't know why he had told his daughter when, having known her her whole life, he should have realized that she would not show proper discretion. While there may have been a verbal contract in place, deals like that weren't to be disclosed to the public until a written contract was signed – it was simply good sense to keep everything close to one's chest until then. Either Anders was irritated with Bianca at the moment – or this was a planned revelation leading up to an anticipated conclusion. But what?

* * *

Looking around, Thomas saw that most of the people present were currently standing and chatting with each other in small groups or waiting their turn to order specialized drinks from the bar. Judging by the number of empty seats around him, the awards ceremony must have concluded at least ten or fifteen minutes ago.

Wanting a drink so that he could feel something familiar for once, as opposed to the surprises and confusion of the evening, he left his seat and headed towards the bar, but once there, he found that they were out of his preferred brand of scotch.

As he stopped to decide whether to order a different brand, or choose a different type of drink completely, a hard bump made him stumble backwards. He turned his head slightly to the right and saw that the person who had bumped into him had been Marie Claire.

 _Figures. After all, she also bumped into me yesterday. Doesn't she ever watch where she's going? But this is a big night for her, so I suppose I can overlook it this time._

"There you are," he said, giving her a slightly pleased smile. "Winning an award at Sundance is, I suppose, a reason for me to offer my congratulations."

He expected her to respond cheerfully, but was taken aback at the fury in her eyes. If they were in a horror movie, those hateful eyes of hers would be flaring red, matching her dark scarlet gown perfectly. Yet while no such color came to her eyes, he did notice her that both of her hands were clenched into fists, raw anger palpably radiating from her entire person.

 _What... happened?_

But before Thomas could ask why she was acting the way she was, Marie Claire growled, "Listen, Professor Hunt..."

And she stopped, the fire leaving her eyes as she traded her furious stance for an unhappy frown.

"...I could really use your advice," she finished despondently.

Thomas raised his eyebrow, registering this peculiar development. If there was a night Marie Claire did _not_ need advice, it was tonight, the evening of her first great official victory in the filmmaking industry. What could have transpired that had left her so angry and sad?

"About?" he inquired.

"Anders Stone just cheated us out of twenty-five million dollars!" She held up one clenched fist as she turned her head sharply to glare at Anders, who was casually sipping red wine as he talked to his daughter, who was clutching her awards statue possessively. _"Twenty-five million dollars!"_ she repeated hotly.

Noticing that people were starting to look at them, and knowing that when she had cooled off, Marie Claire would regret speaking in public about her movie's internal problems, he gestured for them to walk a few paces to a less crowded spot in the banquet hall. Once there, he asked her what happened.

"After the awards ceremony, Ethan, Agoto, and I went to Anders' table," she explained. "After Bianca dropped the bomb about the twenty-five million dollars, we wanted to see how much of it we would be getting."

"Understandable," said Thomas, "but shouldn't you have known? After all, those details would have been written in your contract."

Unfortunately, his reasonable statement resulted in Thomas once again being glared at by his student despite his being a completely innocent party.

"It was in our contract, alright – so he wrote us a check for one dollar!"

And also once again, Thomas was speechless for the second time that night. "One dollar? You were the producer, Ethan was the main agent, several of the cast and crew were from your entourage – how could your share have been only one dollar?"

 _Only one dollar for the producer of the movie is unheard of. Something else must have happened._

Marie Claire crossed her arms irately. "He said that the contract we signed entitled us to a twenty percent share of the gross earnings-"

 _Now I see,_ he thought.

"-Gross?" Thomas interrupted her incredulously. "You signed a contract where your share would come out of the gross earnings? You _must_ have known that gross earnings are..."

"...are defined, according to our contract, to be post-marketing, post-tax, non-merchandise, non-resale... in short, post- _everything_ and non- _everything!_ "

Thomas suddenly remembered their conversation from yesterday. "This was the revised contract you had to sign after you ran out of the original funds?"

Shrugging, she replied, "It may have been part of the original contract he offered as well. I wasn't sure, since during our first talk with Anders, I have to admit that Agoto and I were more worked up about his shady 'creative control' clause."

While he had not read the contract, Thomas could guess what that clause entailed, and he didn't blame his students for not agreeing to it – though they ended up having to comply with it anyway, and then some. Their contract endangered their creative control of the movie _and_ took their share out of the gross earnings.

Yet even with those limitations, they could have had a fighting chance in redefining the definition of 'gross earnings' – except that even the definition itself had been included. Ethan was a very good agent for his age, and so was Agoto, but they were still too green. Anders simply had too much experience to be anything but completely beyond their league when it came to negotiations and contracts.

"He got the contract he wanted, he got our movie, and he got our twenty-five million dollars! He cheated us! What should I do, Professor Hunt?"

In the past, Thomas had seen Marie Claire angry, and he had seen her unhappy, but never both at the same time. "This is a side of you I haven't seen before, Marie Claire. Do you truly want my advice?"

His student gave him a small, tired smile. "I do."

 _While she thinks she wants my advice, she might change her mind when she hears what I have to say..._

"Here it is. Get over it. Everyone gets cheated. Life isn't fair."

Marie Claire let out an unhappy laugh. "Does that mean that I have to lay down and get steamrollered by liars and cheaters like Anders for the rest of my career?"

He shook his head.

"Remember this for next time. In the future, read your contracts carefully. Know before coming to the negotiation the lines you won't cross; the stipulations you'll never agree to. When you ran out of funding, Anders was your backup plan. It was good that you thought to go to him, because if you hadn't, you couldn't have made your movie. But next time, have a backup plan _before_ things go wrong, not after. Use this experience as a lesson."

"Anders had a _lesson_ for us too," Marie Claire muttered bitterly. "He said to not be desperate next time."

Thomas snorted. "Despite the source, that sounds like a reasonable suggestion to me."

She said nothing.

In the silence, he could hear more clearly the different sounds of the banquet hall – the click-clack of shoes walking across the hardwood floor; the tinkling of champagne glasses brought together for toasts; the laughter of the guests as they praised each other for their hard work; the loud talk of other guests as they planned to do better for next year.

"It's funny," Marie Claire mused, and Thomas turned his attention back to her, "but when I was celebrating with everyone at our movie premiere yesterday night, and when I was onstage tonight holding that trophy, I thought I had made it. Then Anders pulls the rug out from under me. Some success I am."

Thomas shook his head. "True success isn't about winning all the time. It's about how you react when you lose."

"I appreciate the advice, Professor Hunt," she replied sadly, "but this is a pretty tough loss to swallow." Nodding at Thomas in thanks, she turned to leave, and had taken a few steps when he wondered about something.

"Marie Claire?"

She looked back at him. "Yes, Professor?"

"I don't see your awards statue," he observed. "Where is it?"

Surprisingly, Marie Claire let out a small giggle. "Oh, Ethan snatched it from me right after Anders explained to us how our contract defined gross earnings. I don't really know why... after all, while I _was_ holding the statue in my fist, it wasn't as if I was calculating the impact it would make after gaining momentum after making a semi-circular arc, or anything..."

As she walked away after her slightly disturbing explanation, Thomas made a mental note to always be on his guard when it came to Marie Claire and awards statues.

* * *

(End of Chapter Twenty-Eight.) (06/11/16.)

* * *

 **01\. Canon compliance:**

The only HWU quest that took place in this chapter was Sundance (L13).

* * *

 **02\. A tiny request:**

Thank you for reading my fanfic! :D If you've read this far, I hope you'll consider taking an extra minute to leave a review for Chapter Twenty-Eight ("Wise Voice")? :D Reviews really mean a lot to me as a fanfiction writer because I get to hear your thoughts on something I worked really hard on ^_^ Even if it's the year 2075 or something, I would love to hear your thoughts on this chapter! :D

* * *

 **03\. Two interesting HWU things:**

One, the HWU online television series! :D Did you know that a fellow HWU fan, Zoe (her username on Tumblr is "dizzyclueless"), is diligently working on HWU: The Series? It's a fan-made online television series based on Thomas Hunt and other characters from Hollywood U! ^_^ (At the moment, I'm just a very enthusiastic supporter... but I would LOVE to be involved in HWU: The Series someday! :D) You can find out more about this AMAZING television project on Tumblr (their official Tumblr blog is "hwutheseries"). I just LOVE how Pixelberry and Hollywood U have inspired SO many of us fans! ^_^

And two, my second HWU fanfic! :D If you're interested in reading Marie Claire's perspective of this chapter (Chapter Twenty-Eight), then I encourage you to read "NYTMC 2: Marie Claire's Interlude" ^_^ Here's the summary: _"(Part two of the NYTMC series.) (Midquel.) How did Marie Claire Hart fall in love with her most dashing, yet most cantankerous, professor? A retelling of my MC/Hunt fanfic "NYTMC 1: Not Your Typical Meet-Cute" from Marie Claire's perspective, in 100-word drabbles."_


	29. Day 24 (W): Silly Awards (Level 14)

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Hollywood U. This amazing game belongs to Pixelberry! :)**

* * *

 **My responses to your reviews:**

105\. (19/11/16) MiraMaria: I know how you feel! :'( And about the dress, I wanted to, but I couldn't because it might not have been in-character for Thomas to be so descriptive about her dress at that point :P So the only clue I could give to indicate that she was wearing the A Study in Scarlet dress was to say that she wore a "dark scarlet" gown XD While Crash wasn't the character I had in mind, he _is_ in this chapter as well :P

104\. (07/11/16) Rumbelle1: I'm glad you did! :P

* * *

 **Chapter Twenty-Nine: Day 24 (Wednesday) – Silly Awards (Level 14)**

* * *

The boardroom at the main university building was crowded with professors. There was a staff meeting that was to begin soon, though Thomas did not know when that would be. The first item on the agenda was to talk to Marie Claire. Her flight was only a couple of hours after his, meaning that she should have listened to his stern voicemail by now, but who knew if she checked her voicemail immediately after landing?

 _Where is she?_

As he sat down with a mug of coffee in his right hand, the door burst open, showing the entrance of the student he had to speak to. She was breathing quickly, as if she had run to the boardroom instead of walking, but as Thomas had been waiting for over forty-five minutes, he was in no mood to make allowances for her.

"You've finally arrived, Marie Claire," he frowned. "While at least you did show up, showing up earlier would have been even better."

"I would have shown up earlier if I had been informed of this meeting earlier!" Marie Claire complained, glancing around the room and seeing all of the professors present looking at her disapprovingly. "I don't even know what this meeting is for!"

 _Why is she complaining so vociferously in a room full of her professors? Doesn't she have a sense of situational awareness?_

Sarcastically, he replied, " _Excuse_ us for granting you the courtesy of a warning!"

She blinked in confusion.

"A... warning?"

"Yes, a _warning,_ because I have a bit of bad news... well, bad news for _you,_ " he smirked. "Professor Priya Singh's sabbatical is almost over and she will be returning to the university next week. She'll be the professor in charge of your disciplinary hearing."

There were slight whispers about Priya from the other professors that he chose to ignore, instead choosing to watch Marie Claire's expression.

Marie Claire furrowed her brow, as if trying to recall the name. Unable to do so, she asked, "Who's Priya Singh?"

 _She hasn't heard of Priya yet?_

"A professor who has a reputation as the harshest professor on campus. Compared to her, I may as well be a big, fluffy teddy bear."

 _That ought to scare her._

However, instead of gulping nervously, or widening her eyes in horror, or a myriad of understandable, and, daresay, appropriate – if slightly amusing on his part – reactions she could have chosen, Thomas was perplexed when contrary to showing any sign of apprehension, Marie Claire instead had a slightly glazed look in her eyes as she bit her bottom lip in order to stop herself from giggling, her shoulders shaking minutely with the effort.

 _Why is she trying to keep herself from laughing? I didn't say anything fun- oh, no._

"Marie Claire?"

"Yes, Professor Hunt?"

"Kindly _stop_ imagining me as a big, fluffy teddy bear."

* * *

Apparently, the staff meeting after Marie Claire's departure – he dismissed her from the room after giving her a final warning that Priya was not as forgiving as he was – was designed specifically to irk him. After grumbling some more about the stunt program and its cutting into their departments' budgets, the other professors united to inform Thomas gleefully of an upcoming special event.

He learned that Monday, the day he departed California to fly to Utah the Sundance Festival, was also the same day the university opened voting for the Thomas Hunt Awards – or, as everybody except for Thomas himself called them, the Tommies, which amused all the professors in the room except the one for whom the awards has been named. And after reviewing the awards-related paperwork that had accumulated in the past couple of days while he had been away, he now had the distinct non-pleasure of discussing the upcoming awards night with his freshman class.

As he unenthusiastically walked into the lecture hall and headed for the stage, Arika Alcovo, an awards host major who was sitting next to Marie Claire, cheerfully greeted, "Good morning, Professor Hunt! You look particularly curmudgeonly this morning!"

 _An unusual yet accurate statement,_ Thomas thought sourly.

He didn't return her happy wave, but he did mutter, "Let's just get this over with, shall we?"

Upon reaching the podium, he started his lesson immediately.

"In the past, awards in Hollywood were a sought-after distinction, given to a select few favored by the viewing public. However, since times have changed and fragile egos have to be appeased, this weekend's university event will be dedicated to giving everybody and their shadow their own shiny participation trophy."

He took a list from his laptop bag and smoothed it out in front of him, noting with distaste the newly-added categories and the unlikely nominees for some of the awards.

"I will now read a list of so-called nominees for these so-called awards. Whoever's names are mentioned, I hope you are proud of yourselves for being classified by your peers as exemplary in serious filmmaking accomplishments, such as performing the-" he looked at the list more closely and rolled his eyes, "-Hottest Screen Kiss. Your professionalism is certainly something to aspire to."

 _I'm just going to read these names out as quickly as possible. I want to get this over with!_

After doing just that, he came to the final nominee for the final award.

 _Interesting._

"And the final nominee for Best Actor is... Marie Claire."

As he saw her start to smile, he added, "Thank you, Marie Claire, for proving that subpar ability is no detriment to being nominated for a ridiculous trophy at a ridiculous event."

That was actually a laughable thing to say to her, and he knew it. After all, he had just arrived earlier this morning after witnessing her win an award the previous night at the Sundance Festival, which was one of the most prestigious film festivals in the whole world. But stellar producing skills aside, her acting skills, which he had considered exemplary, were not utilized in their meeting earlier.

 _Subpar ability is right! If she was amused this morning in the boardroom, she could have at least used her acting abilities to hide it! And she shouldn't have been imagining me as a big, fluffy teddy bear in the first place!_

After informing them of who had been chosen to host the awards show on Saturday – none other than Arika Alcovo, the student who had greeted him earlier – he ended the class. He had more important things to do than discuss _these_ awards.

* * *

Those important things involved reading the e-mails that had piled up in his inbox over the past couple of days, sending pleasant, affirmative replies to a fraction of them, and sending scathing, worry-inducing replies to most of the others. And one e-mail in particular made him groan – not because of what it proposed, which was quite reasonable, but because of what it entailed, which was the summoning of three of his students, two of whom were somewhat unpredictable.

He was conversing with Simon Stafford, the first of the three students to arrive, when the two people they were waiting for arrived – and, considering they were Marie Claire Hart and Spencer 'Crash' Yamaguchi, they had a quieter entrance than Thomas would have expected.

Marie Claire, who looked glum, asked, "You wanted to see us, Professor Hunt?"

"Yes, I did," he replied. "I believe you've met Sam? He is one of the most recently-enrolled students at Hollywood U, here specifically for our brand new stunt program."

And his hopes that he had at least one reasonable student in the room with him were dashed when Simon started to excitedly talk to Crash about his previous, extremely dangerous-sounding stunts that involved avalanches, sinkholes, and elevator shafts.

 _I just got back! I don't have time for this!_

"Enough!" he exclaimed, interrupting their conversation. "If you have time to discuss death-defying stunts, you have time to carry out said death-defying stunts to help your fellow Hollywood U students! Now, Spencer-"

"Call me 'Crash,' Prof," he grinned, giving Thomas a thumb's up.

"I will call you Spencer, and you will call me Professor Hunt, _Spencer,"_ he said with annoyed emphasis. "You, Simon, and Marie Claire will be taking part in a film project of one of our graduate thesis students."

"Wait, me too?" Marie Claire asked in surprise. "But I'm not a stunt major!"

"You're a movie star major and, technically, an award-winning producer," he shot back. "But more importantly, it was your idea to open up this school to adrenaline-seeking lunatics. You may have convinced me in a rare moment of weakness that stunt performers have a place at this institution, but the board is still relatively dissatisfied with the idea, and I had the pleasure of listening to their dissatisfaction this morning, where they pointed out that stunts are no longer necessary with today's CGI technology-"

Simon blurted, "CGI? No way, man! People need to be in movies, not fake pixels! Me and Crash are gonna bring back the _real!_ "

And, connected by their mutual desire to bring back the 'real,' Simon and Crash did a leaping chest bump, followed by a double high-five and a few fake punches.

Crash, brimming with energy in his firetruck-red jacket, burst out, "I'm so pumped, I wanna, like, do a flip off this desk-"

 _Is he serious?_

Thomas narrowed his eyes at Crash. "I dare you."

 _Jump off my desk and I'll defenestrate you. And I'd enjoy doing it!_

His student gave a sheepish smile. "...Maybe somebody else's desk?"

 _That's better._

After telling them who to meet and and what location, he sent them off and sat at the aforementioned desk. His numerous still-unread e-mails were waiting for him.

* * *

(End of Chapter Twenty-Nine.) (20/11/16.)

* * *

 **01\. Canon compliance:**

The HWU quests that took place in this chapter were A Chance at Love (L14); The Tommies (Day 01 of 04); and Crash Course (Day 01 of 04).

* * *

 **02\. A tiny request:**

Thank you for reading my fanfic! :D If you've read this far, I hope you'll consider taking an extra minute to leave a review for Chapter Twenty-Nine ("Silly Awards")? :D Reviews really mean a lot to me as a fanfiction writer because I get to hear your thoughts on something I worked really hard on ^_^ Even if it's the year 2075 or something, I would love to hear your thoughts on this chapter! :D

* * *

 **03\. Two interesting HWU things:**

One, the HWU online television series! :D Did you know that a fellow HWU fan, Zoe (her username on Tumblr is "dizzyclueless"), is diligently working on HWU: The Series? It's a fan-made online television series based on Thomas Hunt and other characters from Hollywood U! ^_^ (At the moment, I'm just a very enthusiastic supporter... but I would LOVE to be involved in HWU: The Series someday! :D) You can find out more about this AMAZING television project on Tumblr (their official Tumblr blog is "hwutheseries"). I just LOVE how Pixelberry and Hollywood U have inspired SO many of us fans! ^_^

And two, my second HWU fanfic! :D If you're interested in reading Marie Claire's perspective of this chapter (Chapter Twenty-Nine), then I encourage you to read "NYTMC 2: Marie Claire's Interlude" ^_^ Here's the summary: _"(Part two of the NYTMC series.) (Midquel.) How did Marie Claire Hart fall in love with her most dashing, yet most cantankerous, professor? A retelling of my MC/Hunt fanfic "NYTMC 1: Not Your Typical Meet-Cute" from Marie Claire's perspective, in 100-word drabbles."_


	30. Day 25a (T): Theatre News (Level 14)

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Hollywood U. This amazing game belongs to Pixelberry! :)**

* * *

 **My responses to your reviews:**

108\. (28/11/16) Guest: Thank you very much! It has taken a lot of time to make everything as organized as it is, so it's very nice to see that you noticed! I'm glad you found my fanfic!

107\. (27/11/16) hp and stargirl: Good to know that you liked it!

106\. (21/11/16) Rumbelle1: I'm very glad my fanfic made you laugh! I really liked that part too! Thank you!

* * *

 **Chapter Thirty: Day 25a (Thursday) – Theater News (Level 14)**

* * *

Startled, Thomas read the line a second time.

 _"The Orchid Theater has officially closed its doors due to a lack of attendance."_

He leaned back, thinking.

It was regrettable, but understandable. The Orchid Theater was magnificent in its early days, but after a long while, it seemed like it just wasn't what people wanted anymore. Somewhere along the line, something must have gone wrong. But what?

Nevertheless, the closing of the Orchid Theater exemplified the possible artistic and budgeting problems in the entertainment industry. Thomas decided to bring the topic up in his Introduction to Broadway class later that morning.

* * *

(End of Chapter Thirty.) (03/12/16.)

* * *

 **01\. Canon compliance:**

The HWU quests that took place in this chapter were A Chance at Love (L14); The Tommies (Day 02 of 04); Crash Course (Day 02 of 04); and Curtains (Day 01 of 05).

* * *

 **02\. A tiny request:**

Thank you for reading my fanfic! :D If you've read this far, I hope you'll consider taking an extra minute to leave a review for Chapter Thirty ("Theater News")? :D Reviews really mean a lot to me as a fanfiction writer because I get to hear your thoughts on something I worked really hard on ^_^ Even if it's the year 2075 or something, I would love to hear your thoughts on this chapter! :D

* * *

 **03\. Two interesting HWU things:**

One, the HWU online television series! :D Did you know that a fellow HWU fan, Zoe (her username on Tumblr is "dizzyclueless"), is diligently working on HWU: The Series? It's a fan-made online television series based on Thomas Hunt and other characters from Hollywood U! ^_^ (At the moment, I'm just a very enthusiastic supporter... but I would LOVE to be involved in HWU: The Series someday! :D) You can find out more about this AMAZING television project on Tumblr (their official Tumblr blog is "hwutheseries"). I just LOVE how Pixelberry and Hollywood U have inspired SO many of us fans! ^_^

And two, my second HWU fanfic! :D If you're interested in reading Marie Claire's perspective of this chapter (Chapter Thirty), then I encourage you to read "NYTMC 2: Marie Claire's Interlude" ^_^ Here's the summary: _"(Part two of the NYTMC series.) (Midquel.) How did Marie Claire Hart fall in love with her most dashing, yet most cantankerous, professor? A retelling of my MC/Hunt fanfic "NYTMC 1: Not Your Typical Meet-Cute" from Marie Claire's perspective, in 100-word drabbles."_


	31. Day 25b (T): Grant News (Level 14)

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Hollywood U. This amazing game belongs to Pixelberry! :)**

* * *

 **My responses to your reviews:**

109\. (03/12/16) MiraMaria: I'm also happy that that quest is going to be in this fanfic! I'm really looking forward to it because of something that happens at the end :P

* * *

 **Chapter Thirty-One: Day 25b (Thursday) – Grant News (Level 14)**

* * *

Knowing that his last lesson with his freshman class, the one with the spark sphere, had discussed the importance of showmanship and spectacle, Thomas thought that it would appropriate to now warn them of the consequences of not doing enough to catch the public's attention, and tailored his lecture to teach them a few useful lessons.

"...and you must always remember that while too much spectacle will be considered over-the-top, too little will conform to public taste but will result in unacceptable losses in the long run. This principle also applies to the marketing and advertising areas of a film or theater production – while large, grand events may cause some to roll their eyes, the owners of those eyes will still remember the event, still remember the production, and will likely be intrigued enough to watch. This is why tried and true publicity stunts may be repeated through the years by different organizations and still intrigue and engage the public."

Several of his students nodded, and a few wrote in their notebooks.

"But there is the other side of the coin – while those tried and true publicity stunts do work, a production's executive staff must constantly try to find new ways of making a performance appeal to the public. Likewise, film performers and theater performers cannot simply follow in the footsteps of those that came before them. Trends are trends for a reason, and entertainment may have reliable and memorable methods, but, within reason actors must always be willing to at least consider adjusting to the current entertainment climate. To refuse to change is to be left behind, and..."

From the front row, Thomas saw Marie Claire raise her hand, a wondering expression on her face. From that alone, he surmised that she likely had a relevant question, and his time probably wouldn't be wasted were he to entertain it, but nevertheless, she could have chosen a better time to raise her hand than _right in the middle of his sentence._

"...and of course, Marie Claire has a question that must be answered right at this moment. If this isn't worth everybody's time, Marie Claire, you will not like the results."

Unperturbed by his mildly threatening way of letting her know that she was now allowed to speak, Marie Claire, who was sitting in the front row, asked, "But, Professor Hunt, do performers always have to change according to the current industry norm, whatever it is? What about the opposite? Isn't it possible for just one performer, or play, or film, to inspire the rest of the world to consider new methods, standards, and ideas?

 _Very astute question... but easier said than done._

He crossed his arms.

"And how would that be done? An impression must be left on the heart of every viewer, staying with them long after the experience is over. While that type of profound impact can be made by rare talent, none of you should get your hopes up or you'll just be disappointed."

Before he could continue, the doors of the lecture hall opened with a bang. A wide-eyed student ran inside, craning his neck as if trying to see everything around him despite being limited by having two eyes that were pointed in the same direction.

"I'm... I'm here at Hollywood U!" the student gasped, before punching the air with his fist in triumph. "I'm in the big leagues, my name's gonna be in lights and in Hollywood sidewalk stars, because I have finally made it!"

Thomas, and quite a few of his students, blinked as the newcomer, whose name Thomas remembered from a staff e-mail discussing incoming students was Bradley Billingsley, spun around as if trying to gather the essence of the lecture hall and trap it inside him like the eye of a hurricane, like a spinning ballerina who had had too much coffee.

Suddenly, he stopped, and spreading his arms wide with a flourish, he began to sing.

" _Mama told me, stay at home, the big world is scary..."_

Perplexed, Thomas thought, _What is this student doing?_

Stunned into temporary silence because none of his students had ever rushed into the room in the middle of his lecture and then burst into song, he stared in amazement – and he wasn't the only one doing so – as Bradley use his admittedly splendid tenor voice in order to build up to the conclusion of the stanza.

" _...But home is where the heart is, and mine's in Hollywoooood-"_

Finally coming to his senses, Thomas growled in a deadly voice, "Sit. Down."

Bradley started, as if coming out of the ludicrous singing trance he had put himself into. This time he was the one to blink in surprise, as if he only just realized that bursting into a room and interrupting a lecture by singing a showtune was an unacceptable way for a student to behave, he said, "Oops! Right! Sorry!"

His students, amused by what had happened, laughed good-naturedly as Bradley's beaming self immediately took an open seat in the front row.

 _A student actually sang in my class without being prompted to do so – and after a grand entrance, too. Where does the admissions office find these... treasures?_

Trying to forget the bizarre display that had just occurred, Thomas forged ahead with his lecture.

"As I was saying... trends come and go in the entertainment industry, and one has to stay with the times or get left behind. Case in point – the Orchid Theater, which was once one of the most majestic, respectable performance theaters in Hollywood, is now officially closing its doors due to lack of attendance."

"What? No!"

It was Bradley again, who had leapt out of his seat during Thomas' last sentence, crying out in horror at Thomas' news.

 _This is the second time he's interrupted me!_

Thomas glared at him, and he noticed Marie Claire, was was sitting next to Bradley, pull on his sleeve and urgently whisper something to him.

He didn't hear what she said, but his impassioned exclamation carried even to the ends of the auditorium, "But don't you all understand? The Orchid Theater is a historical treasure! Don't you remember Good as Gold? The Orchid Theater stage was where Mimi O'Halleran performed her first-ever solo! It can't close! It just can't!"

Weakened by his despair, he was finally pulled back to his seat by Marie Claire. Meanwhile, Thomas used the interruption to teach another lesson.

"Fortunately for us, Bradley is not in charge of any major financial decisions. The Orchid Theater, while a magnificent theater in the past, is now a veritable wreck, and a theater with a record of steadily declining profits in the recent years would not be worth renovating when its only remaining asset is its famous name. As the theater has officially closed, real estate investors and production companies will be circling it like birds of prey, and sometime soon – most likely within the month, it will be demolished by whoever purchases the deed to the theater. Get used to it because that's the way the world works."

Bradley looked ready to interrupt a third time, but an elbow to the side courtesy of Marie Claire, along with a few words whispered behind her hand into his ear, made him desist.

 _Figures that a student who caused trouble during her first class can make another student with similar tendencies listen to her._

With no further interruptions, Thomas continued his lecture.

"The closing of the Orchid Theater ties in with my previous point about marketing and advertising in the entertainment industry. While I am not privy to in-depth knowledge regarding their strategies, it is quite likely that after the Orchid Theater had been established as an institution and industry name, the executive staff likely cut the advertising budget, relying on its name and stellar reputation to keep drawing in an audience. However, with faced with the ambition of smaller theaters and new digital marketing and publicity methods, the Orchid Theater's advertising methods may have made the transition from minimal to obsolete..."

* * *

A few hours later, Thomas was sitting in Andrew's office, sipping a steaming cup of coffee that the dean had handed to him soon after he entered. Remembering that the last long conversation he had had with Andrew in this office revolved around a student who had authorized the use of an untested military tank, he was a little wary of what was to come.

Opposite him at the desk, Andrew betrayed no clues about why he had summoned Thomas besides the slightly amused expression on his face. After giving Thomas a few moments to drink half the cup of coffee he was given and set it down, Andrew started the conversation.

"So, Thomas... it seems that you certainly have interesting freshmen."

Immediately, two students came to mind, and both of them had been sitting in the front row of his morning lecture. _Oh, no. One of them did something! I just know it!_

Hoping, _hoping_ with all his might that Marie Claire had not somehow once again procured heavy military machinery in the few hours that had passed after he last saw her in class, Thomas attempted to casually ask, "What do you mean?"

"Well," Andrew gave a small laugh, "I would certainly call a student who bursts through my door and starts talking lightning-speed about theaters and history and finances and- vultures, of all things, to be interesting."

Thomas gave a sigh. "So you've met Bradley Billingsley. As I understand it, he is one of our newest students – a Broadway major. I can guess the reason why he was... enthusiastic, but not why he accosted you, of all people?"

"He had quite a lot of things to say," replied Andrew. After getting up to prepare a cup of coffee for himself, he sat down and set his filled cup on the desk opposite Thomas' half-filled cup. "Apparently, vultures are circling the _grand,_ the _majestic,_ the _stupendous_ Orchid Theater – his words, not mine – and that as the dean of the most prestigious filmmaking university in the world, I had to... what was it?"

The dean tapped his index finger on his chin a couple of times before remembering.

"Ah, yes... to 'commence the revolution' against the tearing down of beloved, irreplaceable treasures of the entertainment industry in order to 'make a stand against mass conformity and the degradation of stage production standards worldwide.' Despite the slightly crazed look in his eyes, he really was quite eloquent."

After registering what Andrew had said, Thomas gaped at him in disbelief. "He said all that?"

The dean nodded.

 _Why,_ though Thomas despondently, _can't I have normal, sane students who don't crash tanks or try to start revolutions?_

Grinning and spreading his arms wide, Andrew exclaimed, "And I've decided to take his advice!"

Thomas gaped. "...What?"

After taking a gulp of coffee, the dean explained, "Well, not by building a barricade in the streets or anything else so... historically and theatrically allegorical, but after taking his concerns into consideration, I've decided to grant him a small grant to produce Good as Gold. The funds he receives from the university will support a one-night performance of the musical that will be designed to revive interest in, and funding for, the Orchid Theater to revoke their decision to close."

 _That's... quite a noble goal. While he could have gone about it in a better way, this was a good thing for him to do for the Orchid Theater._

"Then," Thomas said, finishing his coffee and rising, "let me know when the performance will be and I'll certainly attend. I wish both of you the best of luck in your endeavor."

"Our endeavor."

Andrew's short reply made Thomas pause and look at him suspiciously.

"What do you mean, _our_ endeavor?"

"I mean," he said, waving Thomas back to his seat and continuing only after he had complied, "that an immediate project like this means that speed is of the essence in determining the amount of money the university will be giving Bradley and his team in the form of a grant."

"The university's accounting department is-"

"-far too busy," Andrew replied mildly, "finalizing the budget for the new stunt program."

 _The stunt program that wouldn't be here if it weren't for me requesting it. If I refuse to handle the matter of calculating the amount of money for the grant, it would reflect badly on me, both because it is my student requesting it and because I'm the reason the accounting department is all tied up at the moment._

 _He's got me._

"I... see. In that case, I would be happy to help."

Upon hearing that, Andrew clapped his hands. "Splendid!" After refilling both of their coffee cups, he sat down and cheerfully held his own cup towards Thomas. "To commencing the revolution!"

Thomas' grumbled response wasn't nearly as cheerful.

* * *

Back in his own office, Thomas pulled out several documents: general grant and budget guides; past detailed accounts of expenses of his own productions; and published pamphlets of insider theatrical news that was half gossip, half materially useful practical and financial information. After bringing an armful of documents to his desk, he pulled out a notepad and pen from his desk drawer and started taking notes as he took in all the information in front of him.

He started with the single most important consideration when staging a revival of a theatrical production: the royalty fees. Royalty fees were fees that granted interested parties the right to reproduce an already existing production – to use the exact lyrics, music, set design, and other elements of the performance without being sued for violation of intellectual and creative property laws.

Plays, or in this case, musicals, that had become famous were always protective of their royalty rights, some production companies outright adopting a "don't call us, we'll call you" way of dealing with people who came knocking on their door. Others, such as CATS, The Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables, as well as the production in question, Good as Gold, were more lenient, open to considering all requests provided they were proposed by respectable parties with deep pockets.

Upon closer investigation, he found out that there were a few similar occasions in the past where plays and musicals were hurriedly produced for almost identical reasons as the matter of the Orchid Theater. Because of these cases, the judicial system saw fit to pass an emergency law that allowed potential producers more freedom.

While they would have to pay royalty fees within ninety days, parties interested in producing existing theatrical material could do so without explicit permission if they were under extremely tight time constraints _and_ were undertaking the project either in the name of historical preservation or in tribute to industry legends. For example, if the main actor of the original performance passed away suddenly, people who wanted to honor that actor by performing their play or musical could do so immediately without legal repercussions, provided they paid they royalty fees within ninety days of the first performance of the production's new iteration.

Because the Orchid Theater had just closed, its absolute deed of sale – the ownership of the building and the land it stood upon – was likely still in the hands of the main investor, so Thomas did not have to calculate leasing costs. He, knew, though, that the Orchid Theater would soon be up for bidding. Interested parties would bid on the property, with the winning person or organization welcome to do as it pleased, whether it was to preserve the building or tear it down.

While leasing costs weren't an issue for now, renovation costs were another matter.

The last stage production Thomas had watched in the Orchid Theater didn't distract him from noticing the dilapidated state of the interior. Seats weren't fastened properly, the cushions were lumpy or outright flat, the curtains were frayed, the corners and ceiling were dusty, the gold paint on the cracked columns were badly chipped. No matter how well actors performed, ambiance was important in live performances, and the building that housed the production had to be pristine to make a good impression on the audience.

Instead of looking up what chairs and cushions and paint and other things cost, which would have taken too much time, Thomas instead looked into all-in renovation packages that were available at standard industry prices. The base price for these packages were determined by the value of the real estate – in short, the more expensive and upper-class the location, the higher the base price for renovation would be – and were then multiplied by the number of square meters of surface area covered. Of course, the more floors a building had, the more expensive renovation would be.

With the royalty fees and renovation fees calculated, next came the executive and production staff's expenses.

Directors, producers, and other staff all required salaries, and this sometimes depended on the location of the production. A director operating in small, fifty-seat theater would almost definitely have a smaller salary than a director of a production in an upscale theater at a high-profile location. Despite its current miserable state, the prestige associated with the Orchid Theater's seating capacity of five thousand in one of the top theater districts in Hollywood ensured a high base salary for the director, the producer, the actors, the understudies, the backstage crew, the set, prop, and lighting designers, the choreographer and orchestra, the executive staff...

After everybody's salaries, the next consideration was how much the offstage equipment would cost to repair, replace, or purchase. This included lights, light filters, sound boards, speakers, and wiring... but it also included musical instruments of all kinds, which would have to be the best available on the market in order to produce high-quality music.

Onstage equipment was important too, starting with sets. Sets were far more than backdrops done in watercolor or acrylic – elaborate sets called for expensive furniture, massive statues, and, in some cases – such as the floating tire and mechanical paw in CATS – complex machinery. Sometimes, certain set pieces were only used once or twice in a major way in a production – such as the massive chandelier in the Phantom of the Opera, which was significant only one time in each of the musical's two acts – but even so, such set pieces would become iconic, defining the production, and special care, and expense, had to be taken to make sure that everything onstage operated the way it should.

Set costs were different, though, from prop costs. Prop costs were defined as anything the actors interacted with that wasn't nailed down, usually smaller items that they could carry. While stationary props – props that required no special directions to use – were easy enough to have on hand, moving props – props that were multi-functional or operational in some way – were another matter entirely. They had to be cleaned and tested regularly to ensure that they would properly work onstage, as in the case of spark firearms used in Les Miserables, which, instead of firing bullets onstage – which obviously would be a liability nightmare – actually only emitted a loud sound sound and a bright spark at the barrel end, with the effects of any supposed gunshots dependent on the acting abilities of the actor targeted.

Lastly, publicity costs for a performance at the Orchid Theater would not be as high as they would be for performances at other theaters because the Orchid Theater was already a famous establishment, but due to how it had changed from prestigious to barely acceptable in the recent years, the rebranding costs would cut into the budget as the staff had to convince the public at large to attend. And nevertheless, new advertising materials had to be made specifically to promote the performance itself.

Posters would have to be designed and printed, which would afterwards be posted in local establishments. Most places that students frequented – as this was going to be run by students – would happily help spread the word about the performances, but affluent theater aficionados did not frequent cheap student diners, and places such as exclusive boutiques and high-class restaurants, the places potential investors went to on a regular basis – were unlikely to allow on their walls posters for was was essentially a student production.

Other ways of advertising would be advertising in the local media. Newspaper and radio advertisements could be within reach, but television advertising prices could be astronomical, especially during prime time hours – after all, there was almost no point in running a thirty-second television advertisement if it ran at three o'clock in the morning and ninety-nine percent of the target audience was fast asleep. Advertising on social media, on the other hand, would be easier and faster, with messages able to reach a vast amount of people in a short amount of time.

Thomas was mostly recognized as a former director and actor. His producer credentials were normally overlooked by people who thought they knew his career and professional history. This producer experience served him well as a director, knowing which requests were outright impossible and which ones were within the production's financial constraints.

While not planning his own production this time, his past experience nevertheless served him well as he looked at old figures and new figures and came to a realistic middle ground for the assembled costs of a theater production.

However, nobody was perfect, and only after painstakingly looking up current standard industry salaries for directors, actors, backstage crew, choreographers, musicians, and many more essential staff did he suddenly remember that as a student, Bradley would likely reach out to fellow students to help. After all, based on their initial meeting, he didn't seem the type to attempt to track down a famous director and negotiate salary and benefits with them, even if he had the resources to offer either.

And after more thinking, Thomas also came to the conclusion that while some set and prop expenses would be incurred, the pool of multi-talented talented students at Hollywood U meant that Bradley would have the pick of student volunteers from every aspect of production to help with his project, so those costs could be significantly reduced.

Rubbing his eyes to clear away the numbers that were swimming in his mind, Thomas made the final adjustments to the grant's budget report.

* * *

After he had e-mailed the grant report to Andrew, he received a reply an hour later that contained two files: the official written grant request from Bradley, and the official written acceptance of Hollywood University – documents that were formalities more than anything considering Andrew and Bradley's verbal agreement.

Curiously, he downloaded the grant request, wondering how Bradley had worded his desire to revive the theater – and was pleasantly surprised.

While there were hints of the excitement he showed during the lecture as well as his conversation with the dean, Bradley also outlined in three succinct paragraphs the three reasons why he believed the university should give funds for their production: the preservation of the Orchid Theater; the practical experience it would give to the various students involved in the project; and, finally, the good publicity such a production would bring to Hollywood U's already stellar reputation.

At the bottom, there was a short paragraph that caught his eye.

 **"** ** _Therefore we petition Hollywood University to provide this project with a grant to partially supplement the costs that will be incurred in this undertaking. We, Bradley Billingsley and Marie Claire Hart, the co-producers of the upcoming production of the Good as Gold musical at Orchid Theater, will share responsibility in all creative, executive, and financial decisions regarding this production."_**

Thomas wasn't expecting Marie Claire to be involved, but with her penchant for getting into situations, perhaps he should have anticipated it.

 _Marie Claire, at least, already has producer experience. And since the musical will be staged indoors, the chances of explosions and mass destruction are minimal..._

He paused.

 _...right?_

* * *

After the details of the grant were sorted out, Thomas was happy to head home. While he was slightly disgruntled about all the calculations that had been necessary for him to make to ensure that the proper amount of money was given to his students, he could appreciate – at least slightly – their attempt to preserve the Orchid Theater. It would all be for nothing, but even to try was to show a respect for theater that he wished more of his students shared.

Wanting to watch something mindless on the television to relax his mind, he settled into the couch and turned on the television. While there were many mindless things he could watch, nothing really caught his eye, causing him to flip absently channel after channel in search of a show that matched his mood.

" _ **...And now, live, join us as we try to interview notorious basketball star Chance Duncan, who was reported to be causing mayhem at one of the trendiest clubs in town, Blitz! What will he..."**_

Thomas raised an eyebrow. May Gordon? I want something to relax my mind, not cause it to disintegrate. I'll keep looking..."

As he was about to change the channel yet again, he saw May turn around – only to come almost face-to-face with the person she had just been talking about.

Nodding in amusement at the tabloid reporter's luck, he put down the remote to watch the latest development unfold. _At least this will give me something to do besides think of the things my students put me through._

" _ **...But look here! It looks like we can ask the man himself!"**_

On-screen, May turned to Chance, his tall frame making her need to slightly hold up the microphone in order to place it level with his excited face.

" _ **Mr. Duncan, the press has reported that you went on a partying rampage, breaking valuables and destroying property! Any comment?"**_

But before Chance could respond, the person next to him tugged on his arm.

" _ **How did the paparazzi find us? Chance, we have to get out of here!"**_

The camera panned to the right to get a better look at the unwelcome interloper, but Thomas did not need the additional visual to recognize who had just spoken. He slouched on his sofa in defeat as he smacked his forehead with his right palm, not even wanting to know how Marie Claire could go from sounding extremely responsible in her grant proposal e-mail that afternoon to being with Chance Duncan in the evening on his 'partying rampage,' where he had allegedly 'caused mayhem' and 'destroyed property.' Normally, he wouldn't have lent any credence to May Gordon's rumor-mongering words, but Marie Claire's presence during her live report made him think that, for once, the tabloid journalist may have actually been spot-on with her details.

On television, while Marie Claire had not succeeded in convincing Chance to run away from the paparazzi as any celebrity with a smidgen of sense ought to, she was at least able to pull on his arm enough to drag him a few steps away for a few whispered words.

Unfortunately for her, it was all for naught as Chance grinned and gave her a thumb's up before swaggering back to the the camera, on the edges of which Thomas could see other jostling reporters pushing their microphones in his direction.

Without hesitating, Chance grabbed one of those microphones, and, grinning in a way that showed that he had denied his destiny of being a toothpaste commercial actor in order to become a basketball superstar, he said confidently, _**"Chance Duncan here – and I have a message for everybody in Los Angeles!"**_

As the reporters on-screen moved even closer to capture every single word, Thomas found himself leaning forward as well in anticipation.

" _ **My fiancee Zoe and I are getting married tomorrow! The wedding's going to be at Staples Center, and you're all invited! This is going to be the biggest wedding of the year – so be there!"**_

With that, he raised his hand holding the microphone above his head for a moment before sending it down with a flourish. If he had been holding a basketball, it would have made a terrific bounce and possibly would have looked cool. Sadly, the microphone wasn't nearly as bouncy, and while the camera didn't pan away from Chance, Thomas could imagine the poor microphone lying in pieces on the hard cement of the alley, a more satisfying fate than going on to be a tool for intrusive and inaccurate tabloid reporting.

May grinned at her announcement, but unlike the thrill on Chance's face, the expression made her look predatory. " _ **Are you seriously inviting the whole city to your wedding?"**_

" _ **The more the merrier!"**_ said Chance, giving the camera a thumb's up, his face perfectly angled to be caught on camera. _**"Forget the year – this is going to be the biggest wedding of all time!"**_

After that statement, at last, Marie Claire was able to convince Chance to leave – but May was having none of it, frowning at Marie Claire as she dragged Chance away.

" _ **Where do you both think you're going? We still need to interview Chance!"**_

A glance over her shoulder showed Marie Claire that May had no intention of letting them leave without a fight – or at least many quotable lines for future juicy gossip. She pointed at something off-screen.

" _ **The limo's just pulled up! Get inside, Chance! Run!"**_

Chance, being a seasoned basketball player, ran like the wind – and made it to the safety of the limousine. Running, after all, was part of his chosen profession, and to a basketball player like him, sprinting such a short distance took practically no energy.

Marie Claire, being a freshman movie star major, ran like the wind – and fell flat on her face.

And Thomas, being the main professor of the unfortunate student on-screen – smacked himself in the forehead for the second time that evening.

As he heard May gleefully asking the camera person to confirm that they had caught that on camera, he sympathetically shook his head as he saw his poor student pathetically hobble her way to the limousine waiting for her. And, hours later, he couldn't help but think that the memorable scene ought to be recorded in his personal journal for posterity.

" _ **As a professor, it is always satisfying to see my students appear on television. Ninety-nine percent of the time, a student's first appearance on television is the result of hard work and talent finally bearing fruit; a moment of triumph and stardom.**_

 _ **However, there is the remaining one percent. And to use the industry terminology most fitting for the occasion, I can only describe Marie Claire's first television appearance as an epic fail."**_

* * *

(End of Chapter Thirty-One.) (11/03/17.)

* * *

 **01\. Canon compliance:**

The HWU quests that took place in this chapter were A Chance at Love (L14); The Tommies (Day 02 of 04); Crash Course (Day 02 of 04); and Curtains (Day 01 of 05).

* * *

 **02\. A tiny request:**

Thank you for reading my fanfic! :D If you've read this far, I hope you'll consider taking an extra minute to leave a review for Chapter Thirty-One ("Grant News")? :D Reviews really mean a lot to me as a fanfiction writer because I get to hear your thoughts on something I worked really hard on ^_^ Even if it's the year 2075 or something, I would love to hear your thoughts on this chapter! :D

* * *

 **03\. Two interesting HWU things:**

One, the HWU online television series! :D Did you know that a fellow HWU fan, Zoe (her username on Tumblr is "dizzyclueless"), is diligently working on HWU: The Series? It's a fan-made online television series based on Thomas Hunt and other characters from Hollywood U! ^_^ (At the moment, I'm just a very enthusiastic supporter... but I would LOVE to be involved in HWU: The Series someday! :D) You can find out more about this AMAZING television project on Tumblr (their official Tumblr blog is "hwutheseries"). I just LOVE how Pixelberry and Hollywood U have inspired SO many of us fans! ^_^

And two, my second HWU fanfic! :D If you're interested in reading Marie Claire's perspective of this chapter (Chapter Thirty-One), then I encourage you to read "NYTMC 2: Marie Claire's Interlude" ^_^ Here's the summary: _"(Part two of the NYTMC series.) (Midquel.) How did Marie Claire Hart fall in love with her most dashing, yet most cantankerous, professor? A retelling of my MC/Hunt fanfic "NYTMC 1: Not Your Typical Meet-Cute" from Marie Claire's perspective, in 100-word drabbles."_


	32. Day 26 (F): Wedding Fight (Levels 14-15)

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Hollywood U. This amazing game belongs to Pixelberry! :)**

* * *

 **My responses to your reviews:**

121\. (16/03/17) Budiamond: This fanfic is actually my longest work of fiction to date :) Marie Claire's really done some weird stuff... poor, traumatized Thomas! XD And you should definitely look forward to that chapter! :D

120\. (14/03/17) Leslie: Glad to hear it! And I will! :D

119\. (12/03/17) rysaspirit: Thank you very much! :D It's a combination of trying to analyze and emulate Thomas' experience and way of thinking... and being shameless enough to sometimes just throw made-up stuff at my readers XD (As for the future chapters, you'll have to keep reading to find out... XD)

118\. (12/03/17) rysaspirit: Your favorite HWU fanfic? Considering the many wonderful fanfics out there, I'm honored! O.o Thank you! :D

117\. (12/03/17) Booklovinggirl123: I'm really glad you like my fanfic! Hooray for weekly updates! :P

116\. (22/02/17) MiraMaria: Thank you very, very much! :) Don't worry; this story will never be abandoned! :D

115\. (17/02/17) pikapika: When I started this fanfic, I was really worried that I wouldn't be able to write a male character properly (and Thomas has a very distinct personality, so I had even more reason to worry), so I'm very glad to hear that; thank you! :D

114\. (26/01/17) angelaroberts202: We have that in common, then! XD

113\. (24/01/17) Aza White: Thank you very much! :)

112\. (16/12/16) MiraMaria: Me too! :D

111\. (10/12/16) Banshee L: Hello! :) I was a bit confused by your review... so if I understand things correctly, you've only read the first five chapters? If so, I hope I can tempt you into reading more! :)

110\. (05/12/16) Guest: I hope you like the way I'll write it! :D

* * *

 **Chapter Thirty-Two: Day 26 (Friday) – Wedding Fight (Levels 14-15)**

* * *

Thomas snagged one of the last parking spots available outside the Staples Center, thinking to himself that he had never seen so many cars in the stadium parking lot this early in the morning. As he got out of the car and headed towards the entrance, he could see several people doing the same thing, obviously there for the same reason he was. They were dressed in varying degrees of formality, from floor-length formal gowns and sharp tuxedos to casual attire – and some where even wearing jerseys of Chance's basketball team as they waved small flags and large foamed fingers in the air. Thomas himself fell into the middle, wearing his usual suit. He couldn't be bothered to take the trouble to put on one of his formal tuxedos for this farce of a wedding.

While it wasn't a legal farce – after all, Chance and Zoe's relationship had been in the media for quite a while – it was obviously an entertainment farce. After watching May Gordon's show last night, Thomas had seen a commercial about an upcoming wedding reality television special starring the two celebrities. That commercial, along with his student's proximity to Chance during the short interview with May Gordon, let him to conclude that after Lisa Valentine's video and the Clash at Sunset movie, the upcoming wedding special would be Marie Claire's third high-profile project, with Chance Duncan and Zoe Rodriguez being the second and third industry professionals who could vouch for her at her hearing.

Marie Claire was taking a risk by undertaking a project this close to her disciplinary hearing, which was only five days away. After all, if the wedding was today, a few days of editing would be required before the wedding special would be ready for broadcast. But perhaps she hadn't had a choice in the matter – even with her success at the Sundance Festival, she was still a virtual unknown. She was fortunate to have a third project at all, even if one of her future endorsers was a superstar athlete who seemed a little too drawn to the limelight.

Looking around, Thomas noticed that he was already being ushered into the stadium. All the pushing and shoving in the crowd had somehow made it so that he had been jostled closer to the entrance, to the point that he was one of the first few people making their way down to the front of the stadium.

As he took a seat a few rows from the basketball court at the center, he looked around more fully at the stadium. Able to seat twenty-one thousand people, Staples Center was an enormous sports stadium, normally only used for sports matches. It spoke to Chance's popularity – or perhaps his audacity – that he thought he could fill up all those seats with people who were not just interested in his team, but in him, personally, and his wedding to Zoe. Of course, many of the people taking their seats could just as easily be fans of Zoe – or spectators who didn't care very much for either of them but still wanted to see what all the fuss was about.

Around Thomas, the crowd started to cheer Chance's name.

So many people chanting the same one syllable was deafening, but the man himself, who had just walked onto the middle of the basketball court and had come to a stop at the foot of the stage that had been set up there, spread out his arms as he said something to the pink-haired woman next to him – Marie Claire, of course. She looked like she was scolding him about something, but as they weren't speaking into microphones, Thomas had no idea what the conversation was about.

After Chance walked away, looking properly chastised by Marie Claire, a gray-haired man whom Thomas easily identified as Brian Ratzik sidled up next to her, and unless Thomas was mistaken, it was now Marie Claire's turn to be scolded. However, she took whatever reprimand she was receiving with more humor than Chance had, calmly taking the same path Chance had during his exit as Brian walked in the opposite direction to speak with the camera crew.

And, fifteen minutes later, Marie Claire, who had changed from her earlier casual attire to the same dark scarlet gown she had worn during the Sundance Festival awards ceremony, ran up to the stage, grabbed a microphone, and asked the eager crowd...

* * *

"...Are you ready for the wedding of the century?"

Her half-said, half-shouted question was met with eager cheers from the crowd, whose excitement had been building up ever since it had begun to form outside. Thomas could understand – many people admired celebrities, but a few of the population had actually been invited to a celebrity wedding. The wedding of a superstar athlete and a superstar actress in a venue as grand as Staples Center was the closest thing to a royal wedding as this crowd could get.

Not looking nervous in the least, Marie Claire stood in the middle of the stage. The edges of the stage were decorated with flowers, the deep purple color of the gathered bunches of lavender providing a stark contrast to the white and pink of the beautiful lilies with which they were interspersed.

On the stage itself was a large white trellis, three times as tall as Marie Claire, artfully draped with soft, gauzy silk whose shade of white seemed to change depending on the light, along with several microphones on microphone stands. In the middle of the wedding trellis was a luxurious red carpet that extended to the front of Thomas' field of vision, presumably where the bridesmaids, groomsmen, groom, and bride would march.

As he and the rest of the crowd heard the opening bars of the wedding march, Marie Claire shouted excitedly into the microphone, "Let the ceremony begin!"

After she ran down the stairs of the stage of joined the rest of the bridal party, the wedding started in earnest, the music rising in volume as the maid of honor – Desiree Stone, who Thomas knew was a star in her own right – and the bridesmaids – Marie Claire, Addison, and two of their classmates – all in formal gowns and holding miniature floral bouquets, walked down the aisle. On the big screen attached to the ceiling, Thomas could see a close-up of their faces.

Addison, despite the fact that she had no personal connection to the bride or groom that Thomas knew of, was wiping away tears with a white handkerchief Desiree conspiratorially handed to her. Remembering how emotional she had also been during his Fear 101 lesson, he supposed it was normal to her to express her feelings as she felt them. Marie Claire and her two other classmates didn't look as affected by the wedding environment as Addison, but he could see their happiness at being able to participate in such a happy event. As they lined up onstage, they were joined by the groomsmen, who were members of Chance's basketball team.

Soon, it was time for the groom's grand entrance – and he did not disappoint. Looking every like a groom in his black tuxedo, the crowd shouted his name at the top of their lungs over and over again as he ran down the red carpet and up the stage. After pumping both of his fists in victory at the crowd, he jogged down the line of groomsmen onstage, high-fiving each teammate as he went past them. He came to a stop in the middle of the white trellis, grabbing a microphone as he flashed the mob of fans with a million-dollar smile.

"There have been," he said to the crowd, who had suddenly fallen silent, "a lot of championships won in this arena. But love is the best game there is, and this wedding's going to be the slam dunk to end all slam dunks! Tonight, I marry the love of my life, my ultimate MVP – Zoe Rodriguez!"

He held his arm out to the carpet, where everybody turned to see Zoe, dressed in a white wedding gown and holding a bridal bouquet, walk slowly down the red carpet, her own fans cheering her name. As she ran up the stairs to the stage, the wedding march was cut off, only to be replaced by the Jock Jams Megamix.

 _Why did the music change?_ Thomas thought, confused.

But nobody around him was interested in answering his unspoken question, because they were all avidly watching the big screen, which showed Zoe's furious face as she glared at the man who had called her his ultimate MVP.

* * *

"How could you do this, Chance?" exclaimed Zoe angrily as she stood shaking in all of her bridal rage. "That song was the _only_ thing I cared about!"

The many standing microphones under the wedding trellis ensured that the crowd could hear every single irate word she spoke onstage, and every deep breath she took to try to calm herself down – without success.

Chance, raising his palms in a disarming gesture, defended himself. "Don't be like that, Zoe! I know you wanted that Rocky song... but my Twitter poll said that my fans definitely wanted to hear the Jock Jams Megamix!"

 _Did I hear that right? He let his fans' choice take precedence over the wishes of the bride? Idiots like this actually exist?_

Zoe looked gobsmacked.

"You..." she hissed, taking a step closer to him, "let your fans decide the music instead of _me?!_ "

"Of course!" said Chance, not seeming to realize that he was in danger of being karate-chopped into pieces by his action star bride. "My fans mean everything to me, and they wanted the Jock Jams Megamix! You gotta give the people what they want!"

He looked out the crowd, clearly hoping for a cheer, only to be met with silence. The aforementioned 'people' were frozen in the seats, hardly daring to move lest the tiniest action set off the already volatile bride.

"No," Zoe said as she shook her head, her eyes squeezed shut as she tried to take more deep breaths. But no amount of oxygen could quell her anger and hurt at having her only wish denied on her own wedding day. She stared him down. "Sometimes, you have to give your fiance what _she_ wants."

She took off her engagement ring, which at last sparked some panic into Chance, who told her to be careful with it because it had cost him two million dollars.

But she told him that she didn't care how much it cost.

"I don't want it anymore," said Zoe, holding it up in front of her. The camera zoomed in to get a better look a the ring, and the people who were looking at the big screen gaped at the stupidly large, sparkling diamond that seemed to be as big as two of Zoe's fingernails combined. "I think it's time to give it to your true love."

She drew her arm back before throwing the ring into the crowd, where it was caught by a very lucky, and now very wealthy, Lakers fan.

"Zoe..."

It was Chance, and he looked confused, as if he didn't, or wouldn't, believe what had just happened.

"I... I don't understand, Zoe. What does this mean?"

Zoe looked at the man she had been about to marry, and the camera caught her disappointed expression perfectly.

"This means the wedding is off, Chance. You and I are done."

She ran for the stadium exit, and, Chance, after mumbling something the microphones couldn't quite catch, walked to the stadium's locker rooms in a shocked daze, his teammates trailing behind him in support.

 _Well... that was unexpected._

Suddenly, Brian Ratzik appeared from behind the trellis.

Thomas blinked. _He was hiding there this whole time?_

He watched Brian walk up to Marie Claire and they had a hurried conversation off to the side. When they finished, Brian gestured with his hands, shooing Marie Claire in the direction of the standing microphones. After taking one off the stand, she held the microphone tightly in her right hand as she faced the crowd.

* * *

A hush fell on the crowd as they all quieted down from whispering about the bride and groom's respective exits as they all waited to see what Marie Claire had to say.

She looked at the thousands of people in the stadium – people who had expected to be present on the happiest day of the celebrities' lives.

"I know we were all expecting a wedding today, but you all saw what happened. So I think that instead of a wedding, we got a lesson instead. A lesson about love."

 _An extemporaneous speech,_ thought Thomas, suddenly reminded of the day she had impersonated him. _What will she think to say this time?_

"I know that after today, everybody will be asking each other, and themselves, whose fault this was. That's always the biggest question at the end of a relationship. And from what we saw here today, a lot of people will say that Chance got carried away... and he did."

She shook her head forcefully, as if trying to banish unwelcome thoughts.

"What kind of selfish groom listens to his fans over his bride about the music at their wedding? He didn't care what Zoe wanted – or if he did, he cared more about the crowd. In a way, maybe their non-wedding is kind of our fault, too."

There were murmurs of both denial and agreement from the crowd as they looked as the stage before them. Just minutes ago, both the groom and the bride were onstage – only to very quickly be replaced by a young woman who most of them didn't know, and who was trying to make sense of the situation like they were.

"As for Zoe..." she continued, "...how did she not see this coming? She must have known how important his fans are to Chance. Being a celebrity and appealing to his fans – that's Chance's whole persona. That didn't change just because he was getting married – he even invited the whole city to come to the wedding!"

A few people laughed.

"Maybe they both thought they could change each other. That if they tried hard enough, things would work out the way they want to. But sometimes, things can't go your way. You could have all the plans in the world, but sometimes things just go wrong and you can't do anything but stand and watch and-"

 _She's rambling._

Just in time, Marie Claire closed her eyes and took a slow, deep breath to collect herself, trembling slightly as she exhaled before continuing to speak.

"-and sometimes, things don't work out. That's what happened here. Like I said, being a celebrity is Chance's whole persona, and that's something you can't change. And if your fiance has to fundamentally change his personality to be with you... maybe you're just not meant to be. In the end, the most important thing to take away is... I'm single and ready to mingle."

Thomas, who had been nodding along at what Marie Claire had been saying, suddenly stopped short.

 _Um... what?_

In the crowd, he could see people exchanging confused looks at the sudden turn in Marie Claire's speech. But as if she were completely ignorant of the sudden change from somberness to bewilderment, she continued in the same vein.

"That's right," she said, letting out a short giggle that was just a little too high-pitched before giving the closest camera an exaggerated wink. "I'm available. I'm sure we're all _very_ sad and everything about Chance and Zoe-" she made a dismissive gesture with her free hand, "-but every cloud has a silver lining... I'm _very_ single," she repeated, giving everybody a smile that was just a little too wide, "My number is-"

Again, out of nowhere, Brian appeared, this time to snatch the microphone out of Marie Claire's hand. "Very nice speech, Marie Claire, but if you don't mind, we're trying to film a television special, not find you a date..."

As Brian continued to talk to the crowd, Thomas's gaze moved to Marie Claire, who had retaken her place in the line of bridesmaids. She seemed to be taking more deep breaths as she was handed back her miniature bridal bouquet, looking for all the world like _she_ had been the one left at the altar instead of Chance.

 _Her speech started off fine, but then... what happened? She started rambling about having plans and things going wrong..._

After a moment, it all made perfect sense to Thomas – the way Marie Claire shook her head forcefully at the beginning of her speech; the slight tremble as she took a deep breath; the giggle that was just a little too high-pitched; the smile that was just a little too wide.

His student had tried to act normally during her speech, offering the crowd her smiles and laughter. It was in her nature to appear lighthearted and confident to others, but Thomas had seen her at her lowest before, when all hope was lost and death was literally coming for her.

 _But there is,_ thought Thomas silently, _more than one kind of death..._

Today was Friday. Marie Claire's disciplinary hearing was on Wednesday – only five days away. Thomas saw the way her fingers curled around the bouquet just a little too tightly, her fingertips turning white from the pressure, holding the flowers in front of her as if they could shield her from what was coming.

 _...and Marie Claire does not want to die._

* * *

(End of Chapter Thirty-Two.) (18/03/17.)

* * *

 **01\. Canon compliance:**

The HWU quests that took place in this chapter were A Chance at Love (L14); Celebrity Wedding (L15); The Tommies (Day 03 of 04); Crash Course (Day 03 of 04); and Curtains (Day 02 of 05).

* * *

 **02\. A tiny request:**

Thank you for reading my fanfic! :D If you've read this far, I hope you'll consider taking an extra minute to leave a review for Chapter Thirty-Two ("Wedding Fight")? :D Reviews really mean a lot to me as a fanfiction writer because I get to hear your thoughts on something I worked really hard on ^_^ Even if it's the year 2075 or something, I would love to hear your thoughts on this chapter! :D

* * *

 **03\. Two interesting HWU things:**

One, the HWU online television series! :D Did you know that a fellow HWU fan, Zoe (her username on Tumblr is "dizzyclueless"), is diligently working on HWU: The Series? It's a fan-made online television series based on Thomas Hunt and other characters from Hollywood U! ^_^ (At the moment, I'm just a very enthusiastic supporter... but I would LOVE to be involved in HWU: The Series someday! :D) You can find out more about this AMAZING television project on Tumblr (their official Tumblr blog is "hwutheseries"). I just LOVE how Pixelberry and Hollywood U have inspired SO many of us fans! ^_^

And two, my second HWU fanfic! :D If you're interested in reading Marie Claire's perspective of this chapter (Chapter Thirty-Two), then I encourage you to read "NYTMC 2: Marie Claire's Interlude" ^_^ Here's the summary: _"(Part two of the NYTMC series.) (Midquel.) How did Marie Claire Hart fall in love with her most dashing, yet most cantankerous, professor? A retelling of my MC/Hunt fanfic "NYTMC 1: Not Your Typical Meet-Cute" from Marie Claire's perspective, in 100-word drabbles."_


	33. Day 27 (S): Statuette (Level 15)

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Hollywood U. This amazing game belongs to Pixelberry! :)**

* * *

 **My responses to your reviews:**

127\. (24/03/17) MiraMaria: Thank you! :) It was a weird and funny way to end such a serious speech, I think! XD

126\. (21/03/17) Guest: Haha! Isn't it a fitting name for a shark, though? XD

125\. (20/03/17) MiraMaria: Thank you very much for supporting me and continuing to read my fanfic; I really appreciate it! :D

124\. (20/03/17) hp and stargirl: Thanks! :)

123\. (20/03/17) hp and stargirl: It's very nice to know that; thank you! :)

122\. (19/03/17) Budiamond: Yay! :D She's supposed to be awkward and imperfect, so I'm really glad to hear that! :D

* * *

 **Chapter Thirty-Three: Day 27 (Saturday) – Statuette (Level 15)**

* * *

Watching the other professors talk amongst themselves, Thomas couldn't help but feel a hint of nervousness. His laptop was already set up in front, connected to a large screen in the front of the room that was perfect for showing something to a big audience.

Normally, professors wouldn't have been willing to give up their Saturday morning to attend a meeting at the university, but Thomas had convinced them, saying in the mass e-mail he sent them the previous evening that it was better to get everything over with – and that after all, they had been the ones to insist on a major project to showcase the usefulness and necessity of a stunt program at Hollywood U. It was only proper that they live up to what they had said and watch said project when it was completed.

Seeing that everybody had finished talking to each other and were now looking curiously at the screen, he gave a short explanation for why they were here, afterwards, play the video file Dean had sent him.

The video began to play.

As the movie's first act unfolded, he quickly surmised that there were three main characters – the noble protagonist, the comical sidekick, and a bounty hunter who would probably have some kind of redemption arc. He also noticed that main characters' features somewhat resembled the three students – Marie Claire, Crash, and Simon – which was likely one of the reasons Dean had chosen those three to participate in his project.

In the first major action sequence, Marie Claire and Crash were in hot pursuit of Simon, who was sprinting in hallway, occasionally putting on bursts of speed that were just enough to keep him out of their reach. At the end of the hallway, Marie Claire was finally able to catch up to Simon, and in a split second where he turned his head to check where his pursuers were, Marie Claire clenched her first, drew back her arm, and forcefully delivered an earth-shattering punch that sent Simon flying backwards and out of the window.

Trying to ignore his shock – and, surprisingly, dread – at just how hard Marie Claire could punch somebody if she really put her mind to it, Thomas instead paid attention to the details of the scene – the way Sam had expertly angled his body so that he crashed into the very middle of the window behind him; the crunch of the broken window panes as he made impact; and the sharp shards of clear glass that flew out and were captured in slow motion. The slight sparkle of the glass shards as they flew out proved that they were real – CGI glass would produce something smoother, and what they saw on-screen had sharp edges that made the viewer want to duck.

Looking at the other professors, he saw that a few of them had noticed what he had, eyeing the shards thoughtfully themselves.

As the movie continued, the three characters, who were currently on a tall hill, made a temporary alliance in order to dispense justice to a villain that had cause all of them harm in different ways. That villain, not too pleased with their truce, attempted to dispense of them by exploding a bomb on the hill that sent several boulders crashing down to where the three of them were.

He and his colleagues watched as the huge boulders rumbled down the hill, destroying everything in their path. As one of the boulders narrowly missed Marie Claire, Thomas saw a few professors in the room sigh in relief, taken in by the realism of the scene. Marie Claire, borrowing the role of protagonist for the scene, kept them on the edge of their seats as she skidded under a low-hanging tree branch in order to keep her momentum while running and then emerged none the worse for wear on the other side, determinedly continuing to run down the hill as the latest boulder was trapped behind the tree...

...but her luck ran out when her left foot got stuck deep into the mud mid-stride, causing her to fall over her own to legs to the ground before she quickly got up and tried to pull herself free.

Thomas, with growing trepidation, eyed the boulders that were almost upon Marie Claire.

 _If this had been shot with CGI, there would be no sense of urgency because the actor wouldn't be able to see the boulders. But those aren't computer images – they're made of industrial polymer. Lightweight compared to real boulders, but objects that large made of industrial polymer can cause serious damage..._

Crash and Simon, noticing that Marie Claire wasn't beside them anymore, looked up, only to see Marie Claire in a dangerous predicament, and the alarm on their faces caused Marie Claire to look behind her. Her eyes widened as she saw the biggest boulder yet crashing down, sending small pebbles flying as it rolled menacingly towards her.

Almost as if it were in slow motion – though, actually, since they were watching a movie, it may have been put in partial slow motion – Crash, despite the danger, scrambled up to where Marie Claire was stuck and tackled her to the side, dislodging her foot from her shoe as she tumbled to the ground, safe from the boulder that had instead partially hit Crash, who doubled over in pain.

As his student grimaced from the painful impact he had brought upon himself for recklessly playing a knight in shining armor, Thomas spared a glance at the other occupants of the room, who all looked relieved that Crash had saved Marie Claire in time.

On-screen, the villain managed to dispatch the sidekick, and after a heated confrontation in which the bounty hunter was revealed to be the villain's second-in-command in disguise, but who betrayed the villain to side with the main character, proved his genuine change of heart by taking the main character's side as they implemented their master plan – riding a speeding truck filled with dynamite in order to crash it into the villain's headquarters, a chemical factory where he made dangerous nuclear weapons that he sold to the highest bidders.

Marie Claire and Simon stood on top of the truck – it was never properly explained in the movie why they had to be in the vicinity of the truck at all when they could have just as easily controlled it remotely, but action movies often had plot holes like that – bracing themselves against the strong wind as the truck surged towards its destination. The chemical factory's dark grey, imposing facade loomed over both of them, covering them in shadow, the wind around them growing ever-stronger – until the moment when, prompted by an unseen cue, Marie Claire and Simon quickly turned on their heels and sprinted across the back of the moving truck, putting on more and more speed before launching themselves off the truck...

...just as what seemed like moments later the dynamite-filled truck crashed into the nearest wall of the chemical factory, the destructive combination of contradictory substances and elements resulting in a powerful explosion that bathed the two characters' faces in fiery orange and green light.

Judging from the awe on his colleague's faces, he guessed that a unanimous vote for the continuation of the stunt program was a given.

* * *

His hunch proved to be right, the paperwork being signed and made official in the course of the final fifteen minutes of their meeting. After dropping off the valuable paperwork personally at the the administrative office, he e-mailed Marie Claire and Simon to summon them to his office.

They came approximately thirty minutes later, Simon bounding into the room like an excitable rabbit as he asked Thomas, "Professor Hunt! Thanks for calling us in! Did you see our totally epic movie?"

"I did," Thomas informed them. It rankled at him that a program he had initially disapproved of was going to be implemented due to his own efforts, but a deal was a deal.

Marie Claire looked at him closely. "...And...?"

Frowning at having to admit defeat, he said grumpily, "What do you want? A golden plaque engraved with congratulations that you didn't mess up? We can even have a new Audrey Award made up just for this occasion and call it the "Not Blowing Your Opportunities For Once" Award."

He paused.

"That being said, you didn't make complete fools of yourselves, and it seems that surpassing the board's expectations by not failing miserably was enough to earn their approval. The stunt program is here to stay."

Punching a fist in the air, Simon shouted, "And so are we!"

Thomas rolled his eyes. "Yes, I realized that."

After exchanging a high five with Simon, Marie Claire said cheerfully, "Thanks for offering to create a whole new award for us, Professor Hunt, but I think I have another prize in mind. See you tonight!"

As they happily said goodbye and left his office, Thomas thought about Marie Claire's words.

 _What did she mean by another prize?_

As if on cue, the phone in his pocket buzzed. He took it out and tapped on the new text message from Andrew.

" ** _Remember, five minutes minimum – it's in your contract!"_**

Thomas groaned. It must have been due to his busy schedule this week that he had forgotten all about...

* * *

" _...the Tommies! How do you feel about being honored by Hollywood U?"_

"I'm only here so I won't get fined by the school."

Thomas stiffly maintained his position on the red carpet, counting each second that passed in the hopes of making time go faster. With everything that had happened during the week, he had overlooked the fact that tonight was the night of the Tommies, or the Thomas Hunt Awards, an awards night that the university held for the students in order to acknowledge their hard work and progress.

" _How do you feel about this year's nominees? Do you have a favorite?"_

"I'm only here so I won't get fined by the school."

At least, that was what it seemed like. Somehow, through the years, The Tommies had also become an unusual way for students to compliment each other on the strangest things. One of last year's trophies had been an award for "Best Impression of Thomas Hunt Skipping Happily Through a Meadow on a Spring Morning." Not only had he been embarrassed by the winner's on-stage reenactment of the ludicrous concept, he had also heard afterwards from the organizers that the long award name had been a nightmare to engrave inside the short space underneath the gold statuette.

As another reporter prepared to ask a question, he felt somebody step up to his right. It was Marie Claire, who was wearing a glittery silver gown and striking a playful pose for the cameras. She turned to her left and was startled to see him.

"Professor Hunt!" she said, raising her eyebrows in surprise as she took in his surly expression. "You don't seem like red carpets are your thing, but I guess you can't judge a book by its grumpy cover! Want to strike a pose with me?" she offered, grinning widely at him.

Thomas scoffed. "Red carpets are _not,_ as you said, my 'thing,' Marie Claire. And I definitely do not want to-"

He was interrupted by a question from the side. _"Professor Hunt! Can you confirm the rumor that you had the sculptors redo the statuettes seventeen times this year until they got your jawline just right?"_

As Marie Claire giggled next to him, he replied scathingly, "I'm only here so I won't get fined by the school."

" _No, I heard it was nineteen times!"_ shouted a different reporter. _"Professor, was it seventeen times or nineteen times? The people want to know!"_

"I'm only here so I won't get fined-"

His irritated response was interrupted by the long-awaited buzz of his phone's timer, signaling that he could finally leave the red carpet. After muttering to everybody within the vicinity that his contractually obligated five minutes were up and that he would be inside, he strode down the the red carpet purposefully, wanting nothing more than to escape the silly questions that rained down on him left and right.

* * *

He used the the main auditorium of Hollywood U almost everyday to give his lectures, so he was used to seeing it as bare; austere; a tool for education and nothing more. But for this evening, it was transformed completely, with several arches scattered all over the cavernous hall, small arches covering a few feet and great arches soaring over the entire audience and almost touching the ceiling, sparkling and grand, like randomly-placed indoor rainbows sparkling only silver and gold, watching over the luxurious red carpet laid out in the middle aisle, waiting to see who would be worthy of the honors given out tonight, leading up to the imposing stage that was illuminated by huge spotlights. The spotlights, which were all pointed at the single podium onstage, suddenly dimmed, and a video started to play on the screen behind...

...where, it seemed, his freshmen students had been told to act like lunatics. He watched, mystified, as Addison panicked about changing majors, finally resorting to using a colorful spinning game wheel with different majors written on it to make a decision. Ethan, meanwhile, was cackling like a veritable hyena, running up to people, buildings, objects, and even small animals while placing yellow sticky notes on them with "15%" written on them.

Bianca, on the other hand, was more like her usual self, glaring at the camera – which was likely being used by Marie Claire, considering the very specific look of loathing Bianca seemed to have on her face. And then out of nowhere, Jenni leapt out with lasso and, like an expert cowgirl, started lassoing people and dragging them to her, taking selfies with each of her prisoners when they were close enough, but the last person she caught in her weapon turned around...

...and was revealed to be Thomas himself, or at least, the best Thomas Hunt that Arika Alcovo, the awards host major that had been placed in charge of hosting The Tommies, could pretend to be.

 _Did they really just 'catch' me with a lasso in their video?_

But that wasn't the worst of it. As 'Thomas' menacingly stepped towards Jenni, who eventually ran away in fear – though not before hurriedly taking one last selfie with 'Thomas,' - the camera slowly zoomed in on Arika as she spoke, hissing like a snake as she did so.

" _I breathe despair and devour bliss! I rule this town with an iron fist! And trust me, I'll expel Arika for thiiiiis!"_

Thomas scowled, but his disapproval went ignored amidst the uproarious laughter, loud applause, and thundering orchestral music that followed the video as Arika herself stepped out from stage left, waving to the audience as she stepped up to the podium.

"How are you all doing tonight, Hollywood U?" she cheerfully asked the audience. "Welcome to the Thomas Hunt Awards! Or, as our favorite curmudgeonly professor calls them, "Little Golden Hugs For My Wonderful Students!" You're just a big 'ole softie, aren't you, Professor?

Thomas's response, a silent glower that threatened to rain doom on whoever even let out a single tiny giggle, was, as he saw out of the corner of his eye, captured perfectly by the camera.

* * *

This year's Tommies was, if it was possible, even more of a circus than last year's. Called upon to present the first award was Crash. Though Thomas had been informed by Dean that Crash has been injured on-set during the filming of the boulder scene of the movie he only watched this morning, the stuntman nevertheless found a way to make an entrance without having to walk and aggravate his leg further – by swinging down a rope from the rafters as if he had been raised in a jungle, adding deep bellowing to his already memorable entrance.

When Thomas heard which award Crash would be handing out the award for Hottest Screen Kiss, he wasn't even surprised that the adrenaline junkie would be be in charge of one of the least professional awards on the list – though he was mildly surprised to see Dmitri and Mova, both who had been Marie Claire's partners for the diva and movie star projects, respectively, reenact a lingering stage kiss from a short film they had starred in that was called Passionfruit.

 _It makes sense, though – his being comfortable with going beyond the norm and her newfound love of improv and non-scripted acting would make a good combination for a film._

He was less than pleased, however, when the next award, which was presented by Ethan, went to a student who pretended to sleep when his named was called, and then, on the way to the stage, forcing Thomas into a high-five that was wholly unwanted on his part. But that was still better than what happened next – which was Chris Winters appearing onstage to present the next award, but talking about Thomas in a way that Thomas would have preferred he did not. As a former model, Thomas knew that he was an attractive man, but having it pointed out to his students made him uncomfortable.

* * *

After a few more award winners took their statuettes – or, in Ethan's case, fifteen percent of a statuette – Arika announced that Bianca had won a trophy for Best Runway Look. Thomas wasn't quite sure how that had happened, as in his classes, Bianca's sense of fashion hadn't stood out in any of the projects he had assigned, but because he didn't care very much one way or another, he watched silently as she got up and went to receive her award.

As his gaze slid over to Addison, who was sitting several seats to Thomas' right. He would have considered to be the best candidate for the award, partly due to the fact that her group had, in his opinion, created the best dress for the last part of the fashionista challenge. Beside her, he noticed Marie Claire speaking brightly to her as Addison gave a few murmured comments in response. While he couldn't hear what they were saying, from the way Addison's expression was going from slightly disappointed to quite cheerful, he guessed that Marie Claire was either encouraging her or reassuring her, and he gave her an approving nod. Marie Claire, when she put her mind to it, could express her feelings in very public ways, and Thomas was only thankful that she didn't feel the need to do so tonight.

* * *

After Bianca left the stage, Arika climbed back up the steps – only to trip and almost lose her balance, causing the audience to laugh. In truth, that sort of reaction was no doubt in sympathy for her than to mock her. Arika, however, didn't look as though she comprehended the distinction, and turned red from embarrassment. Once she reached the podium, her feelings of insecurity stayed with her, making her stutter into the microphone on the podium.

"I... uh... that was... ah..."

Thomas knew that she wasn't alone in this – awards show hosts wanted to maintain a cool image at all times, because unlike the people they introduced, hosts had the spotlight on them from the first second of the event to the last. They were the glue that held everything together, and when they made mistakes, they were usually very hard on themselves.

A movement out of the corner of his eye caught his attention. It was Marie Claire, who was mouthing something to Arika. While he didn't catch everything she said, he thought that the last word she said was 'teleprompter,' and soon enough, Arika, who had been looking at Marie Claire as well, took a deep breath and began to speak again, this time introducing the next stop on the program – a live musical performance bu herself and Lisa, which was actually somewhat diverting. It was a tribute to the movie Big Hero 6, with the backup dancers looking like big, puffy balloons who could dance quite well to a choreographed routine, followed by a duet by Ashley and Lisa, which seemed to lead up to a cadenza on Lisa's part...

"...the moooOOOoooOOOooo...viiiiiiiiies!"

A cadenza was a place in a song where a singer could improvise musically, taking the song to new heights. Lisa made the most of hers, reaching high notes his other students couldn't touch with a fifty-foot ladder, before ending with a flourish and turning back to her singing partner – who appeared to be frozen in place.

"I... the..."

 _She's stuttering... was the cadenza not in the script after all?_

Arika, who was supposed to be continuing the duet, couldn't speak a coherent word.

And somehow, Marie Claire took that as her cue to run up the front steps, dash across the stage, grab Arika's arm, and disappear behind the curtains with her classmate before anybody in the audience could blink.

Ever the professional – at least in terms of performance, if not general behavior – Lisa began to sing a random song to keep the audience entertained...

* * *

...but it wasn't working. Knowing that something was amiss, the audience was restless, whispering jokes to each other and making fun of the situation instead of watching properly. While Lisa was trying her best to keep the audience occupied, the mood inside the auditorium had shifted from expectant to restless.

As the song was approaching the last stanza, something happened onstage. Marie Claire had, for some reason, changed her outfit and hairstyle completely and was strolling from stage right to center stage where Lisa was.

 _What happened? What is she doing up there?_

Giving the audience a wide smile, she said, "Let's clap our hands together for Lisa Valentine!"

A few tentative claps were given, most of the audience trying to figure out why Marie Claire was suddenly acting like the awards show host.

 _Did she try to help her friend? It's a nice gesture, but everybody is different, and a change of host right after a public mistake will cause unrest in the audience..._

Her eyes widened a bit as she took in the audience from her position onstage, but she valiantly tried to shake off her nervousness in favor of continuing to host.

"I hope you enjoyed hearing us sing about how much we love the movies! Up next, we..."

Thomas tilted her head in confusion as Marie Claire stopped speaking.

 _Why did she just trail off like that?_

Following her slightly panicked gaze, he saw the teleprompter technician shake his head at her and shrug helplessly, forcing her to ad-lib for a situation she had no training for.

"Before our... um... next number, I think... that we should thank our sponsors! They're, um... that coffee place on campus... and the university... and..."

From stage left, Thomas saw Arika walk onstage, but for comedic effect, she had changed into the same outfit Marie Claire had as well as styled her hair the same way. The presence of an identically-dressed duo onstage made the audience laugh.

Unfortunately, Marie Claire, who was focused on the crowd, didn't see Arika, and so assumed that everybody was laughing at her unsuccessful attempt to pick up where her classmate had left off. She flushed an unhappy red, looking to be berating herself for the attempt...

 _It was a commendable try, if not the best._

...when she turned and saw Arika, realizing a moment later why the audience had been laughing.

"Well," said Arika, humorously gesturing downwards at herself, drawing attention to her dress, "this is awkward."

She then leaned over and conspiratorially whispered something to Marie Claire that the audience couldn't hear, ending her statement with a wink. Marie Claire grinned back.

"Hey, Arika, that's not fair! You just stole my whole look!"

"I had no choice, Marie Claire! You copied my whole stammering, mumbling act! That's trademarked, you know!"

The crowd whistled and clapped in approval.

Not to be outdone, Marie Claire countered, "Pretty sure I invented it, you... um, you human being..."

"See, you're doing it again!" crowed Arika. Through the applause her quick comment received, she said, "Thanks for being a great audience, folks! Up next is the last award of the night. I'm going to have to ask Marie Claire to return to her seat, because it's time to crown this term's Best Actor!"

After cheers and applause saw Marie Claire to her seat in the front row, Arika said, "And it's time to introduce our final presenter! I know that this is his favorite night of the year... let's give it up for the man of the hour, Professor Thomas Orson Hunt!"

 _Why did she use my full name?!_

As if they had been waiting for him, the whole audience clapped and cheered, but Thomas ignored them as he made his way up to the stage and took up the microphone.

"Thank you for the introduction, Arika... but if you ever use my middle name again, I will end you."

 _And I will! Really!_

Oblivious to his thoughts, Arika laughed, and so did the audience. "Good one, Professor!"

He smirked.

"I'm not joking."

* * *

As the appreciative laughs died down, he took an envelope out of his pocked and opened it, placing the letter on top of on the podium beside the final gold statuette.

"I, Thomas Hunt, on behalf of..."

He stared at the paper. _What is this?_

There was a lot of gibberish nonsense and flowery prose that he couldn't be bothered to read.

"...blah, blah, blah... let's see, a 'long tradition of excellence,' we can skip that..."

 _Ah, finally, the last line!_

"Here we go, 'present this award for Best Actor to...'"

Thomas read the name.

 _Really? Her?_

"Perfect. Just perfect. Marie Claire, come take this, please."

In reality, he wasn't that surprised that she was receiving the award. However, he _was_ surprised to see almost the entire audience rise up in a standing ovation. Her face bright with joy, she almost seemed to soar from her seat in the front row over the stairs and across the stage to reach Thomas, who was waiting for her in the center.

 _Yes, yes, we're all very happy for you,_ Thomas thought impatiently, extending his hand for the obligatory congratulatory handshake. _Now just take this trophy, give a little speech, and then we can all go home..._

But instead of shaking his hand like any other proper award recipient would, Marie Claire leaned in close and wrapped her arms around him in a hug, her soft curls slightly tickling his ear as she held him close...

...before she gave him an innocent kiss on the cheek, to the thrill of her crowd of admirers, whose bellowed cheers showed their complete and utter glee at what they were seeing.

 _Marie Claire...!_

She was currently unable to see his expression, so he instead made his disapproval known with his voice, growling in her ear, "You've got some nerve, Marie Claire."

And his happy student had the audacity to give him a cheeky grin.

"Got that right."

Peeved, but knowing what he had to do for the sake of decorum, he kissed her on the cheek as well, feeling his cheeks warm in slight embarrassment as he did so. The never-before-seen action had the crowd mostly made up of his very immature, easily-amused students whistling and clapping their hands as if there were no tomorrow.

As they cheered, Marie Claire sneaked a glance at him, noticing something in his expression that made her coo sweetly, "Aww! Professor, you're blushing! Are you _shy?_ "

 _This woman...!_

"Hardly," he grumbled. As she continued to look at him in amusement, he raised an eyebrow and murmured low so that only she could hear, "You know you're going to pay for this, right?"

She gave a genuine laugh in response, seeming to look forward to what lay ahead.

"Do your worst," she murmured back, grinning slyly as she did so. "Your thoughts of rage are the jewels upon my crown, Tommy Boy."

 _What did she just call me?!_

As the audience's long-lasting cheers finally died down, he thrust out the statuette she still hadn't taken towards her. "Now just take it already and put it out of my misery."

She did, and to Arika's question about what she was planning to do, Marie Claire announced that she was planning to win the Best Actor trophy again the following term. And finally, after having to suffer an unbearable amount of fluffy feeling onstage in which Marie Claire gave Arika a Best Host award, Arika attempted to give Marie Claire a Best Friend award, and Marie Claire attempted to give _Thomas_ a Best Professor award, he finally had to resort to threatening mass expulsion to get everybody to leave.

Of course, they took that as a joke, laughing uproariously after his threat.

He sighed.

 _I teach idiots. Talented idiots, but idiots nonetheless._

* * *

Later at home, Thomas wrote in his journal.

" ** _I have once again survived another iteration of The Tommies, and this one was more bearable by virtue of most of the awards being well-deserved. However, at the end of the night, after attempting to take the place of the host after the original host was nowhere to be seen, Marie Claire won the Best Actor award._**

" ** _While the award itself was given to the one who deserved it, the way it was received – with a hug and a kiss on the cheek – was unexpected. Why must she be unconventional in all things?"_**

He closed his journal.

Her actions were unexpected, and deserved correction. Because it was _correction_ he was thinking of. It wasn't as though he wanted to play a prank on her for embarrassing him like that.

After all, responsible professors like Thomas didn't pull pranks on students. Of _course_ not.

* * *

(End of Chapter Thirty-Three.) (25/03/17.)

* * *

 **01\. Canon compliance:**

The HWU quests that took place in this chapter were Celebrity Wedding (L15); The Tommies (Day 04 of 04); Crash Course (Day 04 of 04); and Curtains (Day 03 of 05).

* * *

 **02\. A tiny request:**

Thank you for reading my fanfic! :D If you've read this far, I hope you'll consider taking an extra minute to leave a review for Chapter Thirty-Three ("Statuette")? :D Reviews really mean a lot to me as a fanfiction writer because I get to hear your thoughts on something I worked really hard on ^_^ Even if it's the year 2075 or something, I would love to hear your thoughts on this chapter! :D

* * *

 **03\. Two interesting HWU things:**

One, the HWU online television series! :D Did you know that a fellow HWU fan, Zoe (her username on Tumblr is "dizzyclueless"), is diligently working on HWU: The Series? It's a fan-made online television series based on Thomas Hunt and other characters from Hollywood U! ^_^ (At the moment, I'm just a very enthusiastic supporter... but I would LOVE to be involved in HWU: The Series someday! :D) You can find out more about this AMAZING television project on Tumblr (their official Tumblr blog is "hwutheseries"). I just LOVE how Pixelberry and Hollywood U have inspired SO many of us fans! ^_^

And two, my second HWU fanfic! :D If you're interested in reading Marie Claire's perspective of this chapter (Chapter Thirty-Three), then I encourage you to read "NYTMC 2: Marie Claire's Interlude" ^_^ Here's the summary: _"(Part two of the NYTMC series.) (Midquel.) How did Marie Claire Hart fall in love with her most dashing, yet most cantankerous, professor? A retelling of my MC/Hunt fanfic "NYTMC 1: Not Your Typical Meet-Cute" from Marie Claire's perspective, in 100-word drabbles."_


	34. Day 28a (S): Avian Musings 01 (Level 15)

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Hollywood U. This amazing game belongs to Pixelberry! :)**

* * *

 **My responses to your reviews:**

131\. (29/03/17) MiraMaria: I'm glad the previous chapter made you smile! :) Also, you have a good eye - there are actually two possible quest hints in the previous chapter, and what you mentioned in your review is one of those two, so good job! :) BUT, is that the clue about Chapter Forty, or is it the other possible clue that nobody has mentioned yet? We shall see... XD

130\. (28/03/17) CatsRtheBOSS: Haha, don't worry about it - that just means you'll experience a surprise when you read that chapter! XD Thank you; I'm glad you liked the chapter about the awards show - it's always fun to write Thomas and his reactions! And about Mischief... well, I think you're going to like the latest chapter! :P

129\. (26/03/17) Rumbelle1: Thank you very much! :) I'm glad to be back! :)

128\. (25/03/17) hp and stargirl: Yay! :) Maybe I should feel bad that I made a noticeable mistake, but instead, I'm actually really glad that you read my fanfic closely enough to notice something like that! :D I have corrected it - thank you! :)

* * *

 **Chapter Thirty-Four: Day 28a (Sunday) – Avian Musings 01 (Level 15)**

* * *

When she was younger, Mischief wanted a pet.

But birds generally didn't have pets – or at least that was what Mischief's mother always said whenever she asked if they could keep the tiny creatures they brought to their nest for Mischief to eat when Mischief was too little to fly yet. They brought her worms, which were little wriggly things that she wanted to see grow into big wriggly things but her parents always said to eat her food, not keep her food as pets, and Mischief was a good bird so she listened to her parents.

When she was small, her feathers looked like the little balls of white fluff she later saw growing out of the ground that would scatter when the wind was too strong. At first, her parents chewed up the worms a little bit before giving them to her because that was the only way she could eat them without choking. Her mother was normally in charge of the worms because she knew how to chew them up just right, while her father would be the one to go to ponds and store water in his beak for Mischief to drink when she was done eating. Worms were the only she ate at first, but as she grew up her parents started to bring her other things, wriggly things and squirmy things and jumpy things and pointy things and bitey things.

Once, when Mischief's mother was away and Mischief was hungry, her father flew out and brought her back something new. It was a bright red thing that was curved like a lizard's tail and had a green stem at one end. Her father told her that it was a type of berry he had never seen before and wanted her to be the first to try it. She was happy that her father had brought her something special and bit it eagerly – only to regret it right away. It was hot! It was like the sun that shone on their nest when it was high up in the sky, but the heat wasn't on her head or feathers – it was inside Mischief's beak!

It was burning and burning and Mischief cried because it was so hot and her father cried because he didn't know what to do and they were both sitting in the nest still crying when Mischief's mother came back a little later. When her father told her mother what happened she cuffed him on the head with her wing and made him fly out many times to get Mischief water until she had drank enough to make the burning in her beak go away – and later that night, when they both thought that Mischief was fast asleep, she heard her mother sternly tell her father to never feed their little chick any red chili peppers ever again.

And even though that was a painful experience, it did open her eyes to one thing – parents were birds too, so they also made mistakes. And if her father was wrong about those burning pepper things, maybe her mother was wrong about pets, too!

* * *

When she had grown big enough to be able to fly on her own, but not leave their nest permanently yet, Mischief, as she got to know more of the world, tried to decide what kind of pet she wanted for when she got her own nest.

Worms were fine to eat, though a little slimy – but they didn't do very much except wriggle around, and the grown-up worms really weren't that different in size from the younger worms. Cicadas were more interesting, but their wings were as thin as newly-sprouted leaves and looked like they could be easily injured. Beetles tasted good when her mother had cracked open their shells, but Mischief wanted to be able to cuddle up to her pet and beetles were too pointy for that.

Then, one day, she saw a tall creature with a string in one hand that looked like a thick strand of spiderweb. On the end of that string was a dog. Mischief knew what dogs were because her mother told her that dogs were very nice animals who barked at raccoons and scared them away so that they wouldn't eat bugs that should be eaten by birds. As she watched, Mischief saw the tall creature – which, when she asked, her parents told her was a human – be led around by the dog, who was walking ahead.

When the dog wanted to go forward, the human did too. When the dog stopped to rest, the human did so as well. And, near the beach, when the dog brought the human a stick of driftwood, clearly ordering the human to play with it, the human obeyed, throwing the stick as many times as the dog liked so that the dog could enjoy a fun game.

By the time that the dog had had enough fun and was tugging on the thick spiderweb string to pull its human away from the beach, Mischief was thoroughly convinced that rather than be bored by a worm, worried about a cicada, or poked in the side by a beetle, she was instead going to get an obedient, trainable human pet.

And, eventually, she did - a grumpy human called Thomas Orson Hunt.

Training him took quite a while, but that was a story for another day.

* * *

(End of Chapter Thirty-Four.) (01/04/17.)

* * *

 **00\. Message from the author:**

Happy April Fool's Day! This actually wasn't in my outline, but because of everything that's happening, I wanted to write something humorous for my fellow Hollywood U fans this week. I hope that reading about Mischief made you smile today! :) Thomas will be back in the next chapter!

* * *

 **01\. Canon compliance:**

The HWU quests that took place in this chapter were Celebrity Wedding (L15) and Curtains (Day 04 of 05) (Part I of II).

* * *

 **02\. A tiny request:**

Thank you for reading my fanfic! :D If you've read this far, I hope you'll consider taking an extra minute to leave a review for Chapter Thirty-Four ("Avian Musings 01")? :D Reviews really mean a lot to me as a fanfiction writer because I get to hear your thoughts on something I worked really hard on ^_^ Even if it's the year 2075 or something, I would love to hear your thoughts on this chapter! :D

* * *

 **03\. Two interesting HWU things:**

One, the HWU online television series! :D Did you know that a fellow HWU fan, Zoe (her username on Tumblr is "dizzyclueless"), is diligently working on HWU: The Series? It's a fan-made online television series based on Thomas Hunt and other characters from Hollywood U! ^_^ (At the moment, I'm just a very enthusiastic supporter... but I would LOVE to be involved in HWU: The Series someday! :D) You can find out more about this AMAZING television project on Tumblr (their official Tumblr blog is "hwutheseries"). I just LOVE how Pixelberry and Hollywood U have inspired SO many of us fans! ^_^

And two, my second HWU fanfic! :D If you're interested in reading Marie Claire's perspective of this chapter (Chapter Thirty-Four), then I encourage you to read "NYTMC 2: Marie Claire's Interlude" ^_^ Here's the summary: _"(Part two of the NYTMC series.) (Midquel.) How did Marie Claire Hart fall in love with her most dashing, yet most cantankerous, professor? A retelling of my MC/Hunt fanfic "NYTMC 1: Not Your Typical Meet-Cute" from Marie Claire's perspective, in 100-word drabbles."_


	35. Day 28b (S): Dress Rehearsal (Level 15)

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Hollywood U. This amazing game belongs to Pixelberry! :)**

* * *

 **My responses to your reviews:**

134\. (08/04/17) MiraMaria: Yay! I think Mischief would have been a very cute baby bird :) And I wish you luck in looking for the other quest hint! :P

133\. (01/04/17) Romana: I'm happy to hear that! :)

132\. (01/04/17) CatsRtheBOSS: I'm glad the chapter about Mischief made you smile! :) I can't tell her whole story in just one chapter, of course... after all, a magpie has to have some secrets! :P

* * *

 **Chapter Thirty-Five: Day 28b (Sunday) – Dress Rehearsal (Level 15)**

* * *

As he blew on a spoonful of oatmeal to cool it, Thomas looked curiously at Mischief. If he didn't know better, he would have said that the bird was lost in thought, staring into space like that.

After a few more moments, the bird appeared to shake herself out of her thoughts. Hopping over to him, she flapped her wings and cried, "Caw! Caw, caw!"

 _Why is she... oh, of course!_

He jogged back inside his house to grab some dried fruit, mixed nuts, and a saucer before bringing it all to the small table where Mischief – and his oatmeal – were waiting. Ignoring his own breakfast for the moment, he transferred some of the things he had brought onto the saucer, smiling a little as Mischief happily said, "Caw-caw!" before bending over the saucer to grab two large raisins that were stuck together.

Thomas really shouldn't forget to feed her in the future. Mischief was his pet, after all.

* * *

Later that morning, Thomas was called into Andrew's office, though this time, he was fairly sure that none of his students had anything to do with it. Perhaps the dean just wanted to commiserate with Thomas about the travesty of an awards show he had had to suffer yesterday...

"Thomas! There you are!," said Andrew jovially, welcoming Thomas into his office. "You sure know how to host an awards show! That was the most awkward kiss on the cheek I've ever seen in my life!" he snickered.

...or not.

"It ought to have been," Thomas returned sourly. "I didn't exactly plan it – it must have been a prank of some sort." He sat down in the chair in front of the desk, across from Andrew. "But I hope we have better things to talk about today?"

Andrew nodded, turning serious.

"As a matter of fact, it's about the matter we discussed here last time – the upcoming Good as Gold production."

More interested now, Thomas sat up a little straighter. "Was there a problem with the proposal? Or the grant itself?"

"Not at all," replied Andrew. "In fact, there may be some good news for those students – Marie Claire and Bradley – in the near future. The Hollywood U administration is considering placing a bid on the Orchid Theater."

 _Really? That's interesting news._

"It's partly due to the publicity those two are stirring up about it. For a couple of students who only have a few days to pull it off, they've been working really hard on-set whenever they have a free minute. They've also enlisted their friends' help – or rather, Marie Claire's friends' help because Bradley doesn't seem to know many people here yet – and everything seems to be on-track. Their dress rehearsal is tonight, and opening night is tomorrow night."

Thomas as surprised. "That's... really fast."

"It's not all because of their determination, of course – it turns out that Brian Ratzik put the only bid on the property and he plans to level the building as soon as possible. In fact, on the first day of their preparations, he posted something on the Good as Gold's publicity page himself: 'Looking forward to seeing the Orchid Theater in a week.' That isn't threatening in itself, but when you read between the lines..."

"...then it's apparent that things are taking place behind the scenes," Thomas finished for him.

"Exactly. But there are things taking place in front of the scenes, as well – small media outlets have picked up the 'students fighting for an old legend' angle of the story and they've started to stir up a little buzz. Nothing too big – a short blurb here and there, a line or two in a local newscast – but Marie Claire and Bradley are posting all those crumbs of publicity on their Good as Gold page, and it's piqued the university administration's interest."

Thomas nodded thoughtfully. "Interesting. What are the details of the university's bid?"

"It's all in here," replied Andrew, sliding a thick sheaf of papers across the desk to Thomas. "I wanted to ask you to look it over to see what you think. The university can afford it, but we'd like a little more reassurance that it won't just be a frivolous expense."

After taking the papers, Thomas said, "I'll take a look, then."

As Thomas saw when he got back to his own office, only the first two pages were the details of the bid itself, which was sent to the current owners of the Orchid Theater. The rest of the papers Andrew had given him were internal speculations about the bidding itself, a justification for placing the bid in the first place, and the projected financial costs that would be incurred by the university after purchasing the theater.

The two pages about the bid were simple – they stated Hollywood U's intention to purchase the Orchid Theater and gave the amount of money that the university was willing to give to the current owners. He raised his eyebrows at the price – but shrugged. If the administration had that much money to spend, that was its business, though Thomas certainly wouldn't refuse if they decided to send some of it his way.

After the public bid details, there was an internal report about the bidders involved – or, rather, bidder, because Thomas read that Brian Ratzik was the only bidder for the Orchid Theater. The report included snippets of articles about Brian's latest reality television show – where a disgruntled host was reported to have caused a giant fire that burned down half the studio lot where they were shooting.

Based on that, the writer of the report concluded that Brian needed a new studio lot badly, before the lack of space due to the host's dangerous method of taking revenge made it so that there was no more space for shooting the show and its continuation would have to be delayed to the next season. Thomas and Brian both knew that a reality show stopping in the very middle of a series of episodes would lose the audience's interest faster than an ice cream cone melting in the sun – and, unfortunately, Brian had burned too many bridges with his unscrupulous behavior for any of the other big players to let him borrow their studio lots.

He laughed, and it wasn't a nice laugh. Not only had he and Brian had their clashes while Thomas was still a director, he also disliked the man because he had ruined the prospects of one of his former movie star students. While that student was now doing very well for herself as a fashionista major, Brian's reprehensible actions were not forgotten by Thomas – or, as it turns out, by the university. There was absolutely no mention of Addison Sinclair in the papers in front of him, but Thomas knew enough about silent vengeance to know that it was there.

As he continued to read, he saw that the university's plans for the university were completely restore it to what it had once been – and after that was accomplished, there were two possible avenues. One was to keep the building and use it for university activities – performances, lectures, parties, and other official functions. The second possibility was to sell it at a profit after it had served its purpose of bringing good publicity to the university for being altruistic enough to renovate it completely. Both were good ideas.

After e-mailing Andrew his personal approval for the bid, Thomas opened another tab on his web browser. He had a dress rehearsal to attend, and knowing what time it would begin was probably a good idea.

* * *

That evening, dressed in attire appropriate for a night of attending the theater, Thomas parked his car and walked up to the entrance of the Orchid Theater, which was in much better shape than it had been the last time he had seen it. Once-dusty pillars, floors, and corners had been cleaned, though there were still traces of grime in a few places. He wondered why he was the only person in the lobby – before realizing that everybody must already be inside the theater proper.

Inside, he saw some familiar faces – or rather, backs of heads, as Thomas was behind them – from his freshman class. Addison and Ethan were here, which was to be expected – however, Bianca and Lance were here too, which was puzzling. They didn't seem like the type to support Marie Claire in her endeavor.

He chose a seat near the back just as the curtains rose on the set of a dusty prospecting town, huge wooden storefronts towering over Marie Claire, Bradley, and another student, who were opening the first scene, but just a few lines into the performance, one of the wooden storefronts in the background began to tip over. Marie Claire and the other students onstage had already scurried out of the way, but Bradley, dressed as a fortune hunter from the wild west, was looking up at the wooden storefront in a daze even as it descended on him.

With a cry, Marie Claire ran forward and grabbed Bradley by the arm, yanking him out of the way just as the large, painted set piece slammed onto the floor, billowing out a plume of dust and wood chips that caused the people sitting in the first few rows to cough violently – just before one of the overhead spotlights exploded, raining sparks on the audience.

While Thomas himself was too far to be affected by the sparks, he could sense the abrupt end of the dress rehearsal at hand and made his way to the door. Having the same idea to leave, those who had felt the shower of hot sparks – which was everybody else besides Thomas, as he was the only one who had sat far enough back to be affected as they were – rushed for the doors, and soon, the entire audience was in the lobby, talking loudly about what had just occurred.

Choosing to keep silent, Thomas felt in his suit pocket for his car keys as he headed for the exit. He almost started to text Andrew about the incident, feeling that the university ought to know about the state of the theater they were bidding for, when a thought stopped him in his tracks.

 _They always say that the worse the dress rehearsal, the better the opening night._

He decided that he would come back tomorrow, which he knew would be Good as Gold's opening night. If they managed to pull themselves together and fix everything in twenty-four hours, it would certainly be a performance worth attending.

Because there was a chance for the Orchid Theater to come back; a chance to both be as great as it was when it first opened, and to exceed everybody's deepest hopes and reach breathtaking heights previously thought impossible.

It wasn't over yet.

* * *

(End of Chapter Thirty-Five.) (08/04/17.)

* * *

 **00\. Message from the author:**

This is the first chapter I've written for "Not Your Typical Meet-Cute" after acknowledging that Pixelberry didn't pull an April Fool's prank on us this year. I know we all have a lot of feelings right now about HWU, and if you've read my Tumblr posts, you know that I am devastated by this. But for now, I hope this chapter made your day a little better, and that it let my feelings reach you! :)

The next chapter, Chapter Thirty-Six, will be posted seven days from now, on April 15, 2017, Saturday. That will be a very special day for me because April 15, 2017, Saturday will be the one-year anniversary of "NYTMC 1: Not Your Typical Meet-Cute!" ^_^ So I hope to see you all here next week! :) :) :)

* * *

 **01\. Canon compliance:**

The HWU quests that took place in this chapter were Celebrity Wedding (L15) and Curtains (Day 04 of 05) (Part II of II).

* * *

 **02\. A tiny request:**

Thank you for reading my fanfic! :D If you've read this far, I hope you'll consider taking an extra minute to leave a review for Chapter Thirty-Five ("Dress Rehearsal")? :D Reviews really mean a lot to me as a fanfiction writer because I get to hear your thoughts on something I worked really hard on ^_^ Even if it's the year 2075 or something, I would love to hear your thoughts on this chapter! :D

* * *

 **03\. Two interesting HWU things:**

One, the HWU online television series! :D Did you know that a fellow HWU fan, Zoe (her username on Tumblr is "dizzyclueless"), is diligently working on HWU: The Series? It's a fan-made online television series based on Thomas Hunt and other characters from Hollywood U! ^_^ (At the moment, I'm just a very enthusiastic supporter... but I would LOVE to be involved in HWU: The Series someday! :D) You can find out more about this AMAZING television project on Tumblr (their official Tumblr blog is "hwutheseries"). I just LOVE how Pixelberry and Hollywood U have inspired SO many of us fans! ^_^

And two, my second HWU fanfic! :D If you're interested in reading Marie Claire's perspective of this chapter (Chapter Thirty-Five), then I encourage you to read "NYTMC 2: Marie Claire's Interlude" ^_^ Here's the summary: _"(Part two of the NYTMC series.) (Midquel.) How did Marie Claire Hart fall in love with her most dashing, yet most cantankerous, professor? A retelling of my MC/Hunt fanfic "NYTMC 1: Not Your Typical Meet-Cute" from Marie Claire's perspective, in 100-word drabbles."_


	36. Day 29 (M): Opening Night (Level 15)

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Hollywood U. This amazing game belongs to Pixelberry! :)**

* * *

 **My responses to your reviews:**

138\. (15/04/17) MiraMaria: Yay! :) I think the drabbles will be up and running again from May 2017 onwards :) And I'm happy you noticed that because I liked that line too! :D (And I'm glad you're looking forward to that special chapter! :D)

137\. (14/04/17) Ariza Luca: Hee hee! :P I'm glad you noticed that because I think I was laughing when I wrote that part! XD

136\. (09/04/17) hp and stargirl: Glad you liked the chapter! :)

135\. (08/04/17) CatsRtheBOSS: I'm happy you like the drabbles! :D If things go according to plan, I will be continuing them again sometime in May 2017 :) And while Thomas thinks Mischief is his pet, you're right... we all know the real story about that! XD

* * *

 **Chapter Thirty-Six: Day 29 (Monday) – Opening Night (Level 15)**

* * *

That morning, Thomas was perplexed to find in his e-mail inbox several notifications about the same thing. Wondering what had happened that had required so many pieces of news about it in the late hours of the night and early hours of the morning, he scrolled down to the earliest notification e-mail and clicked on the link.

When he saw the page that had finished loading, it all made sense.

 _So this is what that was all about._

It was Marie Claire and Bradley's page about their Good as Gold production. The first notification that had send Thomas to their page had been for an apologetic post they had made concerning the dress rehearsal, conveying their sympathy and regret for the unexpected confusion that had occurred the previous night.

While admitting to mistakes would have been considered a bad move by others, Thomas thought that to acknowledge the incident publicly was wise – it showed their conscientiousness as theater producers and gave them further, and public, incentive to do better work.

As he looked at the posts that followed, he saw that most of them were photos about behind-the-scenes activities that had taken place after the dress rehearsal. The first photo showed Addison holding up two bulging tote bags, her genuine smile for the camera a little strained because of the weight of the tote bags. Underneath the photo, a caption proclaimed Addison as the show's costume and fashion lifesaver, tagging her as well as other fashionista majors at the end of the post.

There were many photos, and of various people. Crash was shown swinging from the rafters on his way to a broken spotlight, and Ethan was photographed making a rectangle with his fingers. While the former was self-explanatory, the latter's caption, which proclaimed Ethan the "king of publicity," also mentioned that they had an upcoming radio spot that afternoon and a large advertisement in the newest issue of Variety, which was already available for sale today.

In addition, there were also photos of several other students, customizing costumes for the cast, cooperating to make various repairs in the theater, folding programs, cutting out tickers, and doing a myriad of other normally unseen tasks that were necessary for a musical's opening night. All of the captions had the people tagged, along with the writer's thanks. Thomas wondered offhandedly if it was Marie Claire or Bradley who had made all the posts.

He paused. Unlike the several group photos that came before it, the final photo had only two people. It showed Marie Claire and Bradley in a candid shot, each with bright eyes and their mouths slightly open as if captured while in song. Each of them had an arm stretched out as they looked at an invisible audience with visions of the future in their eyes.

The caption read, "Actually the first photo of the night! Our fearless leaders singing their troubles away!"

 _Not either of them, then. They must have a different person in charge of Good as Gold's social media accounts._

After looking at the happy photo for a few more seconds, Thomas exited his web browser. While he wouldn't admit it to anybody – well, their optimism almost made him believe that they could succeed.

* * *

Later that morning, Andrew sent him an e-mail, asking for recommendations about certain aspects of the renovations of the Orchid Theater. Because Thomas had been there just the previous night, he had a much better handle than before on what ought to be replaced and what could remain untouched.

He sent detailed comments about several things that he noticed during the dress rehearsal as well as after leaving it.

The chairs inside the theater were in bad condition – the cushions of the theater seats were unevenly stuffed, and some were actually patched or torn in certain places. When the sparks rained on the audience and Thomas walked towards the exit, he noticed that near the doors, the copper of the wiring for the speakers and other equipment were clearly seen, which was extremely dangerous. Wires were normally covered in rubber or silicone – open wires like that were prone to damage if left the way they were, and could cause electrical damage, including explosions and blackouts.

In the lobby, some of the stone pillars had cracks. While they weren't enough to make them unstable, they were sufficient to lessen the opulent ambiance the theater was supposed to have. The various fixtures in the lobby were worn and scratched; the wooden floor contained deep grooves from furniture being dragged across as they were likely rearranged many times in attempts to rebrand the Orchid Theater.

After writing down those observations, as well as a few others, he sent the e-mail.

* * *

While driving to a restaurant for lunch, Thomas remembered that the radio spot for Good as Gold was due to begin soon and he tuned his radio to the correct station – just in time to catch a radio DJ introducing Bradley.

To Thomas' trained ear, it was clear that Bradley's promotional spiel was largely extemporaneous. He would sometimes skip over key details, such as ticket prices and directions to the theater, but the experienced DJ would lead him back to those important points without making his interference too obvious.

But after those details had been established, his obvious passion for the Orchid Theater and for Good as Gold shone through, and he needed no prompting to expound on the details of the Orchid Theater's rich history and Good as Gold's interesting backstory, occasionally singing a line or two from the musical in order to even better convey his excitement.

When the DJ asked how he had gotten involved in the first place, Thomas heard the whole story from his point of view, and he had to admit that Bradley had talent, making the whole process sound like a noble quest, but without exaggerating or making anything up. And when asked how he and Marie Claire shared producer responsibilities, and where his co-producer was right now, Bradley gave a few compliments to Marie Claire before commenting that she was on-set at the moment, having chosen to oversee the final repairs and conduct equipment tests to ensure compliance with proper safety protocol.

Thomas allowed himself a small smile as the interview finished and the DJ announced the next guest. It had taken a little time for Marie Claire to learn – that tank! - but he knew that she now took safety in her projects seriously, even to the point of wanting to stay behind in the theater rather than taking the chance to speak on a public radio show – and he was glad.

And, after he finished lunch and had headed back to the university, he read another e-mail from Andrew, saying that due to the great amount of publicity Good as Gold had received in just the past twelve hours, and the rising ticket sales that said publicity had accomplished, the university had just sent their official proposal to the city and were now waiting for their reply.

* * *

The atmosphere of any opening night was electric, and the opening night of Good as Gold was no different, the crowd almost buzzing with energy as they took their seats. Thomas, having selected a ticket in the fourth row, was close enough to see the stage but not too close as to have to tilt his head up for his line of sight to align with the level of the stage.

He couldn't see them, or hear what they were saying, but Thomas was sure that behind those dark red velvet curtains, Marie Claire and Bradley were whispering in excitement to each other, having a confusing mixture of feelings – sadness at the circumstances that made the production necessary; anxiety about their musical's opening night and hoping everything went off without a hitch; and thrill at the large crowd they had amassed in the short period of time that they had. He was sure they were thinking those things, because he acknowledged their positions as co-producers and knew without a doubt that producers always had the performance, the production, in their hearts.

After a soaring, instrumental overture, the curtains rose, as they did during the dress rehearsal, on the set of a prospecting town – this time with the storefront looking repaired and freshly painted. Bradley, being the first character to walk onstage, looked eagerly at his surroundings.

" _This is it!" he sang happily, "I'm finally here! Me and my friends are gonna strike it rich, I can feel it!"_

His character's prediction proved right as Bradley, Marie Claire, and a few other students looked for a promising location, selected one, and started panning for gold. After several disappointed sounds, punctuated in turn by despondent and encouraging musical numbers – they found a huge nugget of gold, which despite not being actual gold, was still quite shiny in Thomas' opinion.

This time, it was Marie Claire's turn to sound cheerful as she complimented Bradley, _"You were right! There is gold here! Lots and lots of gold!"_

They took the nugget to a pawn shop to sell it, earning large stacks of what Thomas hoped was fake hundred dollar bills. Because night had fallen – the change in the stage's backdrop provided that bit of information – they decided that Bradley would keep all the money in his tent, and they would split it evenly in the morning.

But when the sun rose, the money was gone, and, along with it, the loyalty of Bradley's friends. After singing scathing accusations at him, Marie Claire and the others left angrily, and only Bradley was left onstage, lamenting what had occurred.

" _Why did I leave my home behind? Can anyone tell me why? Mama said it'd end this way, she told me not to try..."_

He walked back and forth across the stage, touching tents, rocks, and trees sadly as he continued to sing about his doubts, moving members of the audience to tears.

But in the course of his song, the lyrics that Bradley sang changed from hopeless to hopeful, and instead of walking with hunched shoulders, he now strode confidently and with purpose, singing powerfully, _"No! I can't hold back from leaping just because I'm scared to fall! Besides, a life that's free from risks is hardly a life at all!"_

* * *

Because it was meant to be a lighthearted musical, events after Bradley's hopeful song made a turn for the better. After some unorthodox investigation, he found out who had taken the money and retrieved it, though he encountered humorous obstacles along the way.

The musical ended with the money found, the friends reunited, and Bradley belting out powerfully, _"And yes friendship... oh, yes, friendship... is as good as goooold...!"_

At the final note, there was a moment of hushed silence before the audience rose up as one to give the cast and crew a raucous standing ovation. Thomas himself had been clapping furiously along with everybody else for a few moments before he realized that, instinctively, he had risen from his seat along with everybody else.

He paused for a moment, wondering if his enthusiastic response somehow undermined his dignity – and then started clapping very loudly again once he swiftly decided that he didn't care.

These were his students, who, with very little funding had managed to stage a fully sold out musical production in only five days, all for their love for stage performance and for the Orchid Theater.

Marie Claire and Bradley had fought with all their might for what was important to them, and, dignified professor or not, Thomas would honor them with his standing ovation and his loud applause.

They deserved it.

* * *

After he left the theater proper to join the rest of the audience in the lobby, his phone buzzed – and, as it turned out, with very good news about the Orchid Theater.

He didn't have to look for Marie Claire and Bradley – it was easy to see them because they were surrounded by a crowd of admirers. They looked positively lit up with joy as they gave each person they spoke to their full attention, receiving compliments with a pleasing combination of genuine surprise and dignified grace.

As he continued to watch them, he saw, out of the corner of his eye, Brian Ratzik walking up to them, crossing his arms triumphantly as he came to a stop in front of Thomas's students.

Being the first to notice Brian, Marie Claire rolled her eyes at him. "Ugh. Are you here to gloat again?"

"Of course. That little show you put on was... cute, in its own way," said Brian in a condescending tone, "but one measly little opening night won't make a difference to me _or_ to the bulldozers I have waiting in the next lot. They're going to start tearing this place down the second I get confirmation from the city."

 _That's what he thinks._

"Actually, Brian..." With just a few steps, Thomas was able to reach the three of them, and he came to a stop beside Marie Claire.

He continued, "All the buzz about this show caught the attention of Hollywood U's administration. Once they saw the ticket sales, well... To make a long story short, the Orchid Theater is now the property of Hollywood University."

 _Take that!_

"What?" That came from Bradley, who looked like he couldn't believe what he was hearing. Beside him, Marie Claire looked similarly dumbfounded.

Brian's face darkened as he snarled, " _What?!_ How could that happen, Hunt? I submitted my bid _weeks_ ago! Not only that, but I was the only one who was even interested at all! I was the _only_ bidder!"

"Correction... you _were_ the only bidder," Thomas said smugly, "until this afternoon. The combination of outbidding you _and_ our proposing to preserve the Orchid Theater as a historical landmark prompted the city to take our side. I only received confirmation from them ten minutes ago."

"You mean..." Bradley tried to continue, but he couldn't.

Thomas turned to his students, smiling slightly. "Renovations are already being planned. The Orchid Theater will stand here for a _long_ time."

For a few seconds, nobody spoke... until the silence was broken by Marie Claire, who stuck her tongue out at a seething Brian. "Haha! What do you think of our 'cute' show now, huh?"

"Nobody from back home is ever going to believe this!" gushed Bradley.

Brian, on the other hand squinted suspiciously at Thomas. "You're enjoying this, aren't you, Hunt?"

He responded with an innocent blink.

"I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about."

* * *

As he watched Brian storm away, the hint of a smile on Thomas' face didn't fade as he turned to face his students once again.

"I suppose congratulations are in order."

Bursting with pent-up emotion, Billy exclaimed, "I knew it, Professor! I knew that if we just tried our best and believed in ourselves, we would save the theater! Right? Right?"

 _This... is much more naivete than I'm used to..._

As Thomas raised his eyebrow at his supremely excitable student, he noticed, Marie Claire surreptitiously raise her hand to cover her grin, as if knowing exactly how Thomas would react to such an optimistic statement.

"Absolutely not, Bradley," he said levelly. At his confusion, he continued, "The University bought this theater because it was a sound investment. Don't make the mistake of thinking that things like belief or optimism did the trick. _Money_ is what saved this theater."

He paused.

"But you were only successful in making that money because you persevered. The world threw everything at you, as it always does, as it always _must..._ and you didn't give up. That made all the difference."

Seeing that they were only capable of elated silence at the moment, Thomas gave Marie Claire and Bradley a curt nod before walking away from them. There was, after all, only so much saccharine encouragement that he could dispense in a single day.

Not that he had been actively encouraging them, of course.

* * *

After a few minutes of reading the city's email in full – it had actually been sent to the administration's official e-mail address, but as one of the main professors involved, the city had included Thomas' e-mail address in the list of recipients as well – he walked through the exit and saw that it was raining heavily outside.

And his students, Marie Claire and Bradley, the two responsible co-producers of this successful production of Good as Gold, were right in the middle of the heavy downpour, singing and laughing as they celebrated their success by dancing in the rain.

He smiled.

It was moments like this that made being a professor worth it...

...not that he was going to tell anybody that!

* * *

After arriving home, Thomas went to his journal to write down his thoughts about what his two students had accomplished.

" ** _Marie Claire and Bradley, the co-producers of Good as Gold, successfully pulled off a complex stage production after having only five days to prepare. This was not Marie Claire's first stint as a producer, and I believe that the success of Good as Gold can be at least partially attributed to the skills she has developed in the course of learning what it means to take responsibility for a professional production. Their laudable efforts were rewarded by standing ovations by most of the members of the audience, myself included."_**

* * *

(End of Chapter Thirty-Six.) (15/04/17.)

* * *

 **00\. Message from the author:**

Hello, hello, hello to all of you! :D Today, April 15, 2017, Saturday, is the one-year anniversary of "Not Your Typical Meet-Cute!":D I can't believe it's been a whole year! Thank you so, very much for being with me and my fanfic on this journey! ^_^ Let's look forward to future chapters together! :D

(Despite what I said last week, I don't think I'm ready to talk about HWU yet. I hope you understand.) When you think about it, a lot happened during the Broadway help quest, what with the school stepping in to buy the Orchid Theater and all. In writing about it, I tried to answer questions like, "How does Thomas know Brian Ratzik?" and "Why would the city sent _Thomas_ confirmation about the Orchid Theater?" A lot happened behind the scenes that Marie Claire doesn't know about! XD And he was actually quite proud of both of them in this chapter - imagine restoring a theater; and gathering enough actors and crew and musicians; creating and mending costumes and sets and props; spreading word about the musical; and getting a full house on your opening night... all in five days! O.o

* * *

 **01\. Canon compliance:**

The HWU quests that took place in this chapter were Celebrity Wedding (L15) and Curtains (Day 05 of 05).

* * *

 **02\. A tiny request:**

Thank you for reading my fanfic! :D If you've read this far, I hope you'll consider taking an extra minute to leave a review for Chapter Thirty-Six ("Opening Night")? :D Reviews really mean a lot to me as a fanfiction writer because I get to hear your thoughts on something I worked really hard on ^_^ Even if it's the year 2075 or something, I would love to hear your thoughts on this chapter! :D

* * *

 **03\. Two interesting HWU things:**

One, the HWU online television series! :D Did you know that a fellow HWU fan, Zoe (her username on Tumblr is "dizzyclueless"), is diligently working on HWU: The Series? It's a fan-made online television series based on Thomas Hunt and other characters from Hollywood U! ^_^ (At the moment, I'm just a very enthusiastic supporter... but I would LOVE to be involved in HWU: The Series someday! :D) You can find out more about this AMAZING television project on Tumblr (their official Tumblr blog is "hwutheseries"). I just LOVE how Pixelberry and Hollywood U have inspired SO many of us fans! ^_^

And two, my second HWU fanfic! :D If you're interested in reading Marie Claire's perspective of this chapter (Chapter Thirty-Six), then I encourage you to read "NYTMC 2: Marie Claire's Interlude" ^_^ Here's the summary: _"(Part two of the NYTMC series.) (Midquel.) How did Marie Claire Hart fall in love with her most dashing, yet most cantankerous, professor? A retelling of my MC/Hunt fanfic "NYTMC 1: Not Your Typical Meet-Cute" from Marie Claire's perspective, in 100-word drabbles."_


	37. Day 30a (T): One Day More 01 (Level 16)

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Hollywood U. This amazing game belongs to Pixelberry! :)**

* * *

 **My responses to your reviews:**

142\. (22/04/17) MiraMaria: Thank you very much! :) I'm very happy about this anniversary! :D

141\. (16/04/17) Ariza Luca: Wheeeee! :D I think so, too! :P

140\. (16/04/17) hp and stargirl: Thank you for the anniversary greeting! :D And I'm glad these chapters make your weekends happier! :)

139\. (16/04/17) CatsRtheBOSS: One whole year... it's still hard for me to believe! XD At first I thought this fanfic would be 40,000 to 60,000 words, but it's actually grown to over 100,000 words and it's not even finished yet! O.o I'm happy to know that you've been with this story for that long and that it's inspired you! Speaking for myself, there are writers in the fandom that I really look up to, and I hope that one day they'll read this story and know that it was partly because of them that I was inspired and encouraged to write my own story. Thank you for being with me on my anniversary! :)

* * *

 **Chapter Thirty-Seven: Day 30a (Tuesday) – One Day More 01 (Level 16)**

* * *

It turned out that when students pulled off something as big as a professional musical production in five days, one that resulted in the university making an expensive investment – their professor was stuck with the brunt of the work that came after. In addition to having to compile reports on social media pages of Good as Gold and the Orchid Theater, he also had to review the post-production paperwork that the co-producers had submitted to the school to justify their use of their grant funds.

While Marie Claire and Bradley were most likely still giving each other triumphant smiles and high fives, Thomas had a whole day of calculations and analysis ahead of him. Things really weren't fair sometimes.

With his laptop in front of him displaying the Good as Gold page, the printed post-grant report to his left, and his notepad and pen to his right, he continued to work. He had already written a small summary of the musical's social media page, and Thomas was in the middle of writing a comment on their public relations strategy when he heard a knock on the door and, a moment later, there was a second person in the room.

"Thomas."

* * *

The last time Thomas had spoken to Priya Singh was her last day of teaching before she went on sabbatical, which was quite a while ago. He had wondered if seeing her again would bring any old feelings back – but he didn't feel anything for her except the professional respect one felt for a colleague.

Unfortunately, just from the one word that she had spoken, he sensed that he didn't reciprocate his decidedly platonic feelings. Her tone, even from just the one word she had spoken was a touch too soft, a touch too familiar. Nevertheless, he tried to ignore the hint of dread he was starting to feel as he invited her to sit down and tell him about her sabbatical.

As expected of Priya, her time away from the university, while supposed to be for relaxation, was spent more in work than in leisure. He knew that several professors at the university – including himself; just because he was officially retired didn't mean that the ideas stopped coming – worked on their own projects when off the clock, and from what Priya told him, her sabbatical, while not filled with hammocks and beaches, was rewarding in its own right, and he was happy for her. She was a talented and focused individual, and even if things between them hadn't worked out, he wished her only the best.

After exhausting that topic, she asked him what he was working on at the moment, and he rolled his eyes.

"Two of my students, Marie Claire and Bradley, pulled off a successful musical production last night. I'm looking at various reports and figures because their venture also led to the university making a rather sizable investment."

Priya sat up a little straighter. "Marie Claire? Is that Marie Claire Hart? The student Andrew told me was on academic probation?"

"Yes, that's the one," confirmed Thomas. "She and her Broadway major friend decided not even a week ago that they would perform Good as Gold at the Orchid Theater, and they put a lot of effort into making their appointed deadline."

Looking at his scattered notes, Priya noticed a page full of numbers and picked it up. "These... look like the expenses they incurred while working on their musical when they should have been here, studying like the students that they are," she frowned. "Where did they even get this money?

"The university asked me to calculate what would be an appropriate amount for a grant."

She raised her eyebrows.

"And you gave them _this_ much?!"

Thomas would have answered her, but she wasn't even looking at him anymore – instead, she was looking through the report and muttering disapprovingly to herself at what she read.

He sighed. This was just like her – too much criticism, too much jumping to conclusions. He did respect her, but he also knew that in this particular case, his knowledge outweighed hers. While Thomas' background was in modeling and filmmaking, he had been in the role of a producer enough times to know the complications that could arise anytime before the final product was completely finished. However, Priya, while very talented, had specialized in producing content for television and radio before she became a professor. She could, possibly, write circles around Thomas – but, between the two of them, he was the unquestionable authority when it came to budgeting a production.

Not that there was any point in telling her that.

* * *

After she finished leafing through a report she hadn't even asked for permission to read, she set it down and regarded him.

"Andrew told me about her initial hearing – apparently, several students spoke unfavorably of her conduct before the first day of class. Why is she even still here?"

He shrugged. "The board felt that it would be to everybody's benefit to give her a conditional probation. After I informed her of what she would need to accomplish in order to stay here, she was at Holly Chang's doorstep the day after, asking her to collaborate on a Lisa Valentine music video with her."

"The immature pop star she trashed a hotel room with?" Priya asked incredulously. "She was already on probation and she decided _that_ was appropriate behavior?"

Thomas was silent.

He had his own theories on why nobody was formally reprimanded for that incident – at the time, snagging Lisa Valentine had been good publicity for the university, and in that light, the unpleasantness with the hotel room was quietly swept under the rug. Besides, nobody really knew who had done what – whether Marie Claire had reveled in damaging hotel property, or whether others had and Marie Claire instead had tried to stop them. Nobody knew, really. Besides, despite her inauspicious start in university life, Marie Claire had proven to be a capable student. Sometimes impertinent, sometimes naive, but generally good-natured.

Realizing that he had yet to respond to Priya, he spoke. "The hotel room incident, while unfortunate, does not necessary reflect her ability to function as a student of Hollywood U. From what I have seen, she is a generally good student, not malicious or willfully destructive-"

Priya laughed. "Not willfully destructive? Are we talking about the same student who crashed a _tank_ into private property?"

He tried to speak, but she cut him off before he could even say a single word. "I think I have all the information I need – and if even you, her main professor, can't deny the offenses she's committed, I think I know what my decision will be. Would you mind sending her an e-mail telling her to meet us later today? I'm going to the administrative office to get her expulsion papers now. The sooner we get this... this _menace_ out of Hollywood U, the better!"

She left the room in a hurry, forgetting even to say goodbye.

Thomas sighed. After sending the requested e-mail, he once again settled down to do some work. As exhausting as it was, it was better than thinking about one of his students' impending expulsion.

Of course, because the work he was currently doing involved looking into the fine details of _her_ production, he couldn't distance himself from the matter completely.

* * *

At the appointed time, Thomas, Priya, and the others members of the university board watched as Marie Claire entered the conference room, looking slightly bewildered. She looked at all the professors closely, as if wondering what purpose this meeting would serve when they were going to see each other tomorrow anyway.

Thomas stepped forward. "Allow me to introduce Professor Priya Singh. Professor Singh, this is Marie Claire."

For her part, Priya peered at Marie Claire suspiciously, raising an eyebrow after her inspection was over. "You're Marie Claire? Given what I've heard, I'm shocked that you're not covered in piercings and tattoos. After all, look at your record!"

Taking a thin sheaf of papers from the desk, she flipped through page after page as she continued to speak. "You assaulted a student, in a public, and in a very crowded place at that – you trashed a hotel room with Lisa Valentine to the point that you were almost arrested – and you crashed a _tank_ after not even being here for two weeks! This is the worst student record I've ever seen!"

"Well," said Marie Claire uncomfortably, "it does sound bad when you put it all together like that, but-"

"It would still sound _very_ bad even if I put it together any other way!" retorted Priya. "How you're still at this school is beyond me! But I'm confident that will change very soon. Unlike Professor Hunt, I don't plan to play favorites or go easy on you!"

 _What is_ that _supposed to mean?_

In response, his student said... nothing, because she was too busy staring incredulously at Priya.

Taking advantage of the silence, Thomas attempted to correct Priya, because anybody who thought that _Marie Claire,_ of all people, was a favorite _anything_ of his had to be sorely mistaken. "Now just a moment, Professor Singh..."

"Yeah!" Marie Claire had finally found her voice, though she was still looking at Priya like she was crazy. "Professor Hunt _hates_ me!"

And, just for a moment, Thomas felt... _something..._ when he heard that, but he had no idea what it was.

* * *

(End of Chapter Thirty-Seven.) (22/04/17.)

* * *

 **00\. My personal comments:**

Formal etiquette rules actually dictate that you enlighten the more honored person first. So, for example, if you were introducing a king to a commoner, you would say, "Your highness, allow me to introduce [commoner's name]." Afterwards, you would then turn to the commoner and say, "[Commoner's name], this is his majesty." So I find it VERY interesting that in canon, Thomas says, "Allow me to introduce Professor Priya Singh. Professor Singh, this is [main character's name]." In that statement, by first introducing Priya to the main character, he gives the main character information first, thereby treating the main character as the superior and Priya as the inferior in the interaction! :D

* * *

 **01\. Canon compliance:**

The only HWU quest that took place in this chapter was The Hearing (L16).

* * *

 **02\. A tiny request:**

Thank you for reading my fanfic! :D If you've read this far, I hope you'll consider taking an extra minute to leave a review for Chapter Thirty-Seven ("One Day More 01")? :D Reviews really mean a lot to me as a fanfiction writer because I get to hear your thoughts on something I worked really hard on ^_^ Even if it's the year 2075 or something, I would love to hear your thoughts on this chapter! :D

* * *

 **03\. Two interesting HWU things:**

One, the HWU online television series! :D Did you know that a fellow HWU fan, Zoe (her username on Tumblr is "dizzyclueless"), is diligently working on HWU: The Series? It's a fan-made online television series based on Thomas Hunt and other characters from Hollywood U! ^_^ (At the moment, I'm just a very enthusiastic supporter... but I would LOVE to be involved in HWU: The Series someday! :D) You can find out more about this AMAZING television project on Tumblr (their official Tumblr blog is "hwutheseries"). I just LOVE how Pixelberry and Hollywood U have inspired SO many of us fans! ^_^

And two, my second HWU fanfic! :D If you're interested in reading Marie Claire's perspective of this chapter (Chapter Thirty-Seven), then I encourage you to read "NYTMC 2: Marie Claire's Interlude" ^_^ Here's the summary: _"(Part two of the NYTMC series.) (Midquel.) How did Marie Claire Hart fall in love with her most dashing, yet most cantankerous, professor? A retelling of my MC/Hunt fanfic "NYTMC 1: Not Your Typical Meet-Cute" from Marie Claire's perspective, in 100-word drabbles."_


	38. Day 30b (T): One Day More 02 (Level 16)

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Hollywood U. This amazing game belongs to Pixelberry! :)**

* * *

 **My responses to your reviews:**

148\. (29/04/17) MiraMaria: We only got to see it for a tiny little bit, but I agree that it was still nice to see :) And I personally think that formal etiquette is very interesting! :D

147\. (24/04/17) CatsRtheBOSS: And now I know; thank you! :)

146\. (24/04/17) Guest (CatsRtheBOSS): You are very welcome, and like Thomas' subconscious, I also believe that Marie Claire is a queen compared to Priya :D Many things in this fanfic were done on purpose, and what you mentioned is one of them! :D Nice catch! :P

145\. (23/04/17) Guest: Thank you very much! I'm glad you like it! :)

144\. (23/04/17) hp and stargirl: I think it makes sense too! :P And Marie Claire has been on his mind a lot these days because of all her projects and stuff :D

143\. (22/04/17) Ariza Luca: Yup... he really wasn't kidding! :( If you think about it, she's the perfect "prosecutor" for the university... O.o

* * *

 **Chapter Thirty-Eight: Day 30b (Tuesday) – One Day More 02 (Level 16)**

* * *

Excerpt from Chapter Thirty-Seven:

 _Taking advantage of the silence, Thomas attempted to correct Priya, because anybody who thought that_ Marie Claire, _of all people, was a favorite_ anything _of his had to be sorely mistaken. "Now just a moment, Professor Singh..."_

" _Yeah!" Marie Claire had finally found her voice, though she was still looking at Priya like she was crazy. "Professor Hunt_ hates _me!"_

 _Thomas felt... something... when he heard that, but he had no idea what it was._

* * *

His student continued hotly, "There's no way anyone in their right mind could claim that he's-"

"Enough!" Priya said sternly, glaring at Marie Claire. "I don't want to hear it!"

She reached for her bag and took out a stack of papers, spreading them out over the table for everybody to see.

"Do you know what these are?"

Marie Claire shook her head.

"These," declared Priya, "are your expulsion papers. They just need one thing – my signature, which I'm only too happy to give. You have only one day more to be a student here. Once I've signed these tomorrow... you're gone."

There wasn't an immediate response, which caused Thomas, who had been looking at Priya, to turn and look at Marie Claire. She was staring at the papers on the long conference desk. Not glaring, not afraid – just focusing on them as if trying to gauge the damage they could cause her future.

"Why... are you showing me all this?" asked Marie Claire slowly.

Priya replied, "Because I want you to show who you're dealing with. Professor Hunt is all bluster but no follow-through... but not me."

 _Well,_ Thomas thought peevishly, _now I'm just offended._

She continued, "Be here at ten sharp tomorrow morning. We'll hear from the three industry professionals foolish enough to vouch for your character. But let's face it... that's just a formality. I recommend you say goodbye to any friends you've made here."

After that little speech, Marie Claire looked at Priya straight in the eye, and as strange a thing to think as it was, Thomas wondered who Marie Claire was seeing in front of her.

She looked like she was regarding a dangerous adversary, and as much as Thomas hated to think it, his student had already faced a couple of those, such as Anders Stone and Brian Ratzik, and, if Thomas was correct, Marie Claire was in contact with a group even she didn't truly know – an invisible, deceptive atrocity pretending to extend its hand in friendship.

 _Who is she seeing?_

Thomas wasn't exactly sure which side he was on. Yes, Marie Claire had done all the things Priya had mentioned, and yes, after the tank incident, Thomas himself had pushed for her immediate expulsion that very day.

But she had accomplished praiseworthy things since then – she had moved on from the grounds of Hollywood University, meeting her enemies in the grounds of the Orchid Theater and the banquet hall of the Sundance Festival. This newest opponent of Marie Claire's, however, was in her very university, threatening her future in a way the others had not.

Did talent outweigh discipline? Should Marie Claire be absolved of past offenses simply because of a handful of victories earned through unusual circumstances?

Thomas didn't know.

Finally, Marie Claire said quietly, "We'll see..."

After that, Priya gave her a curt dismissal, and Marie Claire gave her professors a simple nod before calmly walking out of the room.

* * *

As the tense atmosphere in the room dissipated, Priya gathered her papers and left as well, followed by the other professors who had their own schedules to keep. A few moments later, Thomas was the only one remaining.

As a professor, he knew what his position ought to be. Marie Claire had interpersonal altercations – or at least just the one – and at least two incidents of destruction of property on her record. The fact that she hadn't checked the tank before its use was a clear display of negligence – of _dangerous_ negligence, at that. In that light, her expulsion was not only sensible; it was practically advisable, both to show her the consequences of her actions as well as to serve as a harsh deterrent to other students who might be prone to exhibiting similar reckless behavior.

He left the conference room and returned to his office, where he found everything exactly as he left it. Now that that meeting was out of the way, perhaps he could accomplish what he needed to before his workday ended. Accessing the Good as Gold social media page once more, Thomas looked closely at each of the posts they had made. They could be divided into two categories – expository posts and promotional posts.

The expository posts were casual, showing what had occurred behind the scenes. There were many pictures of the cast and crew preparing for the production, but there were several candid photos as well, showing them goofing off; having fun; bonding. That was an important part of staging a performance, especially a live performance, because the cast and crew had to rely on each other completely for the show to be a success.

Meanwhile, the promotional posts were more in the line of typical advertising, showing summaries and posters for Good as Gold, much like the movie posters that were on the walls of Thomas' office. He only had a couple in the office – he saved most of them for his own house – but the ones he placed here made him feel more like himself and reminded him of his filmmaking days. They were arranged on his wall in an orderly fashion, unlike the papers which, Thomas just noticed, were placed on the desk in such a way that it was surprising they hadn't fallen to the ground yet.

He reached out and took the papers, repositioning them so that the side of the stack of papers was now aligned with the left side of his desk. That way, they didn't risk falling off the desk and scattering all over the floor, and this current tidiness was preferable because he still needed to look some details over to make sure that he was able to write a useful and informative post-grant report for the university. Having a disorganized office would be detrimental to his concentration.

However, something that also contributed to concentration was food, and it was just about time to have lunch anyway.

* * *

Settling into a booth at the Portside Bistro, Thomas opened his menu and scanned the restaurant's offerings. While he did have certain dishes that he preferred, it wouldn't hurt to take a look at the other dishes that were available, and the Portside Bistro had several choices.

Because he only had a small breakfast, he thought that perhaps past would be a good choice, and the description of the Pasta all'arrabbiata caught his eye, the combination of tomatoes, garlic, basil, and red chili flakes sounding particularly flavorful. Tomatoes were rich in Vitamin B and potassium, with the latter being especially important for blood pressure.

People wouldn't think that being a university professor was a stressful job, but with the kinds of situations he encountered, he could probably benefit from imbibing more potassium than he normally did, and tomatoes would help with that. The garlic in the sauce would also help – garlic had several antioxidants that contributed to improved memory. And while basil also had antioxidants, it was better known for its magnesium, which was good for the body's muscles and blood vessels because it helped them to relax.

He scanned the other items on the menu, noting that besides pasta, there were able to serve many other things as well, as evidenced by the patrons, all of whom were eating a variety of dishes. The restaurant was moderately full, and Thomas wondered how many of them were like him – people who didn't work in the area, but who made the trip because they finally decided to eat at the Portside Bistro after a lot of thought. Of course, he had no way of knowing who worked where because he couldn't read minds. For all he knew, maybe they were all from nearby places and he was the only one who made the trip to eat something he still couldn't decide on.

Frowning at the menu, he cast his eyes over the drinks section, figuring that if he couldn't decide on what to eat, he would first think about what he wanted to drink, and work from there. It was the logical way to figure out what he wanted to eat because whatever he actually wanted to eat wasn't coming to mind at the present moment. After seeing that they served freshly-squeezed grape juice, he thought that would be a good thing to order, because grapes were sweet and sometimes people just needed a little sugar to be able to concentrate, and what had a good amount of healthy sugar was the trail mix he usually bought, which had dried fruit and mixed nuts and, sometimes, even milk chocolate or white chocolate or peanut butter chips.

But they didn't serve trail mix at the Portside Bistro, which made Thomas think that it might be a better idea to just buy a bag of trail mix somewhere and eat it in his office so that he could make up for the amount of time that he had already wasted.

* * *

As he drove down a winding road in his sports car, Thomas tried to think of where he would buy the trail mix he had in mind. He could go to the grocery store, but it was in the opposite direction from the university, which meant that he would have to go past the campus buildings if he wanted to buy the food before going back to his office. He knew that the farmer's market, where he had bought the first bag from where he had fed Mischief at the harbor, was only open on certain days, so his time might be wasted if he went to the regular location of the farmer's market and found it devoid of stalls.

But even though he couldn't go to the farmer's market right now, he was still seeing a lot of nature due to the route he chose to take. He didn't normally take this route because it took slightly more time compared to the tried-and-true route through busier places, but he needed to clear his mind and seeing a lot of open space unfold before him as he drove seemed like a way to accomplish that. Normally, stoplights made it so that Thomas had to stop his car for pedestrians, but because this route was somewhat out-of-the-way, he was able to drive almost without stopping, slowing down only for sharper curves in the roads.

As he drove, he started noticing buildings that he hadn't seen in a long time. He passed a few houses, but most of the buildings he saw were commercial structures, such as restaurants, outdoor gymnasiums and small playing fields, and small boutiques for normal and vintage clothing.

He wondered how they were able to stay in business when they operated quite far from busy places where they could have gotten more customers, but he rationalized to himself that he had no way of knowing what their business plans were like. Maybe they were clothing stores that relied on online sales, and extremely exclusive restaurants that didn't rely on large colorful signs like the one that was coming up ahead.

The sign was in front of an old-looking building, and it advertised a special, one-week event that it assured people they would not want to miss because it would be only be at the museum for one day more. While Thomas did have to go back to his office – well, actually, he had to buy some food to eat and _then_ go back to his office – he rarely traveled down this road, and he was curious. Besides, how much time could it take to view the exhibit the poster talked about?

Advertisement or not, they must not have drawn in a very large crowd, since Thomas had no problem finding available spaces outside the museum and parking without delay. After he bought a ticket for the animal museum, with the added extra charge for the one-week exhibition, he walked inside, wondering what he would see.

* * *

The special exhibition turned out to be about birds – hummingbirds, to be exact. There was a special out-of-the-way room for people who wanted to learn more about them, but Thomas wondered to himself if he was really the kind of person who chose a hummingbird exhibition over work. However, since he was already here after paying for his ticket, at this point it would have been a bigger waste to not at least go see what the exhibition offered.

Most of the section consisted of panels with large high-quality, close-up photographs of hummingbirds, along with their scientific names and explanations about why they were different from each other. A guide was in front of the exhibit, telling a few interested people what made the hummingbirds, who were sometimes referred to as garden fairies, so special.

Apparently, the small, long-beaked, fast-moving birds were vital to the ecosystems of the places in which they resided. Their main food was flower nectar, but because flowers only had a limited supply of nectar and hummingbirds needed to feed every fifteen minutes due to the energy they consumed by beating their wings at a rapid rate, they needed to move from flower to flower to eat their fill. And instead of using their long, matchstick-thin beaks as some type of straw, they actually used them to get deep into the flower they were feeding from and used their long tongues to lap up nectar from inside the flower the way cats and dogs drank from their water bowls.

But even constantly consuming nectar wasn't enough for hummingbirds, so they ate smaller insects as well. While sweet flower nectar was ideal for giving them energy, the insects with which they supplemented their diet gave them the protein that they needed to maintain their muscle structure and grow new feathers to replace the ones they lost through flight and through grooming. Those extra feathers were also necessary because at night, when hummingbirds weren't able to feed every fifteen minutes like they needed to, they went into some type of temporary hibernation that reduced their body temperature, thereby also reducing the amount of energy their bodies used up. Unfortunately, they were defenseless against predators in that state.

This temporary hibernation would be broken come morning, where the hummingbird would shiver from the prolonged lack of heat and, over the course of half an hour, come out of their temporary hibernation to wake up to another day of eating nectar. Nesting hummingbird mothers also used a similar technique when they had to stay with their eggs – even though eggs needed to be kept warm for them to eventually hatch, hummingbirds actually lowered their body temperatures while inside their nests, because to not do so would mean that they would use up too much energy and then they would need to leave their nest to get food. Because they knew how to control their bodies and to limit unnecessary movement, they were able to hatch their eggs.

* * *

The museum guide was full of information, and as Thomas found out, even with all that she had already said, she wasn't close to being done yet – not that he minded, since hummingbirds turned out to be more interesting than he had given them credit for. As he continued to listen, he learned that their iridescent feathers didn't get their colors from pigmentation, like how humans could have red, blonde, brown, or black hair.

Instead, they had the brilliant shades of color that they did due to air bubbles in a hummingbird's feathers. Depending on the hummingbird's intent, whether it was to intimidate opponents or show off to their prospective spouses, a hummingbird could change their own colors at will by causing the air bubbles in their feathers to change them to several vivid hues by using the principle of light reflection. By flashing the brightest colors possible, they puffed out their bodies to scare other birds trespassing on their territory – and if that didn't work, they resorted to full-on battle, bird-style, which meant diving at the opposing hummingbird from above in an attempt to injure them, or, at least, make them think that other places were better places to be.

To inflict this damage, hummingbirds used their wings to take themselves high up, at least relatively speaking because they were so small, and then swoop down on other birds. Their unique flying style aided them, because, as Thomas understood the guide, hummingbirds flew in a different way from all the other birds on the planet except for swifts, since they were distantly related. As he learned more about the way their wings worked, Thomas offhandedly wondered if Mischief could learn to fly like that, or if a bird specifically needed to be a hummingbird's size to be able to fly the way they did.

But thinking of Mischief made him think of trail mix, which made him think of the lunch he didn't eat, which made him think of the work he had been doing before he had gone out to have lunch. And as informative – and surprisingly mentally stimulating – this jaunt to the museum was, Thomas had real work to do, which involved reports and calculations and summaries. And so, after a few more minutes, in which he learned about different types of hummingbirds – it seemed like there were many kinds after all – he decided that his museum visit was at an end, and after getting his car and driving speedily, but safely, back to the university, he was back exactly where he had been hours ago, and sadly with less work to show for his time than he would have liked.

However, while his lack of focus was regrettable, there was nothing to be done except to work more efficiently in the coming hours. While he didn't have a hard deadline for the post-grant report, he preferred to finish it so that he could get it out of the way.

* * *

Reading through his students' post-production paperwork, he noticed that they had divided it into two sections, narrative and financial. Deciding to split the report into two different documents, he took out the staple holding it together, separated the pages of the paperwork into two neat piles, and stapled them separately for easier reading. After he was finished, he took the stapler and was about to put it aside when his movement made the stapler glint from reflecting the light from outside the window, causing Thomas to look at it more closely. When opened up, a stapler had three levels. The top part was the handle level, the middle part was the carrier level that had the spring and staples, and the bottom part, the bast of the stapler, was where the other two parts were pushed down to in the act of stapling. And maybe his mind was filled with thoughts of eating because he had learned so much about hummingbird eating habits earlier, but he thought that the staples seemed like metal teeth, which made the metallic stapler seem like a monster with hungry jaws...

...and that was how Thomas would later attempt to explain to himself how he went from stapling documents in his office to watching the original Jaws movie at five o'clock in the afternoon in his favorite place on campus, Screening Room H-Six. With the close proximity of the screening room to his office, as well as its great collection of movies, he was able to find the Jaws DVD easily, and it was a small matter of plugging in the correct devices and placing the compact disc inside the DVD player before he sat back to watch.

The two first scenes established the theme of freedom, showing several youths having a good time by a campfire - and in some cases by doing things that were not so good, like smoking - as well as a boy and girl playing lightheartedly. However, things didn't turn out so well for the girl, who was screaming and thrashing in terror not even five minutes into the movie. Thomas had always assumed the lesson of those first two scenes was that freedom had to be tempered with wisdom, because if the girl had chosen to swim when there were more people around, they would have noticed her distress and would have tried to help the girl immediately.

The next scene showed the chief of police working on a document when he was rudely interrupted by somebody who just walked up to his workspace without being told that they had permission to enter. The chief didn't tell that person – who was his colleague – to get out because he didn't want to be rude to her, but as Thomas watched her talk on and on about things the chief didn't really care about, Thomas felt a little sorry for him. Being disturbed like that when he just wanted to work quietly must have been quite annoying.

* * *

Things didn't get any better for the chief, who had to watch as a second person, a young boy was eaten by the shark, blood darkening the water the crowd ran from the dangerous waters to the safety of the sandy beach. The boy's mother, rather than grieve, instead offered a bounty on the shark's head - a very crafty move that lured all sorts of shark hunters to their town, but the community placed most of their hopes on a local man who claimed he could do it if he were given over three times the bounty the mother had offered. And while the police department didn't enlist his services right away, the chief did spend some time reading about sharks in books, educating himself on the enemy before seeking an encounter.

However, two characters in the movie seemed to just go for it and try to catch the shark without a whole lot for forethought, placing what looked like an uncooked turkey at the end of a heavy metal chain and tying that chain to a post supporting the wooden pier they were standing on. And while they were successful in having the shark come to them, having the beast drag away the holiday roast, the chain, the post, part of the wooden pier, and one of the men standing on that part of the wooden pier probably wasn't part of their plan.

He settled deeper into his chair and continued to watch the dilemma the town faced as they tried to catch the shark and dispel the fear they all felt as a community, shaking his head at some of the idiots who ignored boating regulations, prioritizing temporary needs over compliance with proper safety protocol. Thomas watched the whole movie all the way to the final credits, not sparing a single thought to the work he should have been doing instead of watching a classic film.

And after he had unplugged everything, returned the Jaws DVD case to its proper place on one of the shelves, and closed up Screening Room H-Six, Thomas entered the elevator with the intention of going back to his office, thinking about what he had just watched. Jaws was a well-known thriller film because of the dread the viewer felt as victims fell one by one to the menace lurking nearby when they thought they were safe. The fact that it remained unseen for almost the entire movie only added to the anxiety of the audience – they all knew what it was, but not being able to truly confirm it made them watch from beginning to end so that they could first see it, and then see it vanquished. As he turned left and entered the corridor where his own office was, he breathed a sigh of relief. While being a professor was sometimes stressful, it could be worse – at least he could walk freely in this building without having to worry about bumping into a vicious, bloodthirsty shark.

* * *

Priya chose that moment to turn a corner while walking speedily, almost bumping into Thomas in the process, but she managed to step aside at the last possible moment and still hold on to the binders she carried in both arms. Instead of stopping to converse, Priya merely gave him a nod before continuing on her way, and Thomas didn't stop her. From what she had in her arms, he knew what was keeping her here even though it was already seven-thirty in the evening. Because every professor, including Thomas, was required to have them in their office, he would recognize those binders with the official Hollywood University regulations and bylaws anywhere, and if she didn't even want to consult the professor who knew the student in question best, that was her decision to make. After stepping inside his own office, he saw his laptop, papers, stapler, notepad, and pen on his desk, and remembered that he had intended to have more done by this time. To delay working on the post-grant report now would only mean having to work on it anyway the next day or the day after that, so it would be better to read and look over everything now. But rather than stay and try to work some more, Thomas packed his laptop and papers into his laptop bag and headed home.

 ** _"Today, instead of working, I went to a restaurant and analyzed the health benefits of vegetables and herbs without actually eating anything; took a longer path back to town when a shorter one would have sufficed; learned about the eating, hibernation, and nesting habits of hummingbirds; and watched the classic film Jaws for the second time since this semester began. Priya, who returned to the university today, is still on-campus at this relatively late hour, doing research on university rules in order to build up her case for Marie Claire's academic hearing tomorrow. And while she can be harsh and unforgiving, but she is also ultimately extremely professional – at least in most cases. Rather than think that her relentless pursuit of a certain result for my student is malicious in some way, I must believe that she is merely doing her duty to the university and that she will conduct tomorrow's events in a professional and reasonable manner."_**

With their need for constant nourishment and the danger of being vulnerable to enemies, hummingbirds, as he had learned in the museum exhibition, led lives full of risk. But even knowing that, Thomas wondered what it would be like to be a hummingbird at that precise moment – in the midst of necessary nightly hibernation, conserving energy through the night in order to be able to wake up the next day and fight enemies who threatened their way of life, trying to continue living a life of frenzied activity and undeniable beauty. And as he closed his journal, he thought to himself that it must be quite a difficult position to be in.

* * *

(End of Chapter Thirty-Eight.) (29/04/17.)

* * *

 **00\. My personal comments:**

Unlike the other times where I made up stuff (like the spark sphere chapter and the grant news chapter), everything you read here about health benefits and hummingbirds and Jaws is absolutely true :D And it was complex for me to write for other reasons as well. This chapter has exactly nine scenes, and you will see some some hidden (and not-so-hidden) references to past chapters AND future chapters of this fanfic if you look closely enough :D

And, speaking of spotting things, I have a small challenge for you! :P Before I publish the next chapter, if you can identify in this chapter one writing technique (there are actually two to choose from) that I used for the very first time in this whole fanfic, you will win a tiny "prize" of sorts :P You'll be able to choose between a preview of a short scene about Marie Claire asking Thomas about something important... or a fun hint about The Chapter I Have Been Waiting For :D (Personally, if I were you, I'd choose the second XD) I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter... and happy identifying! :D (Oh, and there's also one super obvious Les Miserables reference XD)

* * *

 **01\. Canon compliance:**

The only HWU quest that took place in this chapter was The Hearing (L16).

* * *

 **02\. A tiny request:**

Thank you for reading my fanfic! :D If you've read this far, I hope you'll consider taking an extra minute to leave a review for Chapter Thirty-Eight ("One Day More 02")? :D Reviews really mean a lot to me as a fanfiction writer because I get to hear your thoughts on something I worked really hard on ^_^ Even if it's the year 2075 or something, I would love to hear your thoughts on this chapter! :D

* * *

 **03\. Two interesting HWU things:**

One, the HWU online television series! :D Did you know that a fellow HWU fan, Zoe (her username on Tumblr is "dizzyclueless"), is diligently working on HWU: The Series? It's a fan-made online television series based on Thomas Hunt and other characters from Hollywood U! ^_^ (At the moment, I'm just a very enthusiastic supporter... but I would LOVE to be involved in HWU: The Series someday! :D) You can find out more about this AMAZING television project on Tumblr (their official Tumblr blog is "hwutheseries"). I just LOVE how Pixelberry and Hollywood U have inspired SO many of us fans! ^_^

And two, my second HWU fanfic! :D If you're interested in reading Marie Claire's perspective of this chapter (Chapter Thirty-Eight), then I encourage you to read "NYTMC 2: Marie Claire's Interlude" ^_^ Here's the summary: _"(Part two of the NYTMC series.) (Midquel.) How did Marie Claire Hart fall in love with her most dashing, yet most cantankerous, professor? A retelling of my MC/Hunt fanfic "NYTMC 1: Not Your Typical Meet-Cute" from Marie Claire's perspective, in 100-word drabbles."_


	39. Day 31a (W): Cautionary Tale (Level 16)

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Hollywood U. This amazing game belongs to Pixelberry! :)**

* * *

 **My responses to your reviews:**

154\. (06/05/17) MiraMaria: I watched a hummingbird documentary to get lots of hummingbird facts, which was fun! :P A bunch of interesting things will be happening in the coming chapters! :D

153\. (06/05/17) CatsRtheBOSS: It's so flattering that you would actually go though my who story again to look for clues; thank you! :) You're right about the movie star help quest... Thomas was watching Jaws in that chapter! :P (Weird, right? I never figured out why it was just the left...) It's funny that you say that, because before I read your review, I had already decided to restore certain deleted scenes, so that they would once again be an official part of this fanfic! :)

152\. (05/05/17) rysaspirit: Looks like you were able to spot some things! :) And the Silver Circle reference totally counts! :D You also hit the nail on the head about Thomas subconsciously not wanting Marie Claire to be expelled, which I'm really glad you picked up on because the subconscious was a major theme in Chapter Thirty-Eight! :D

151\. (29/04/17) Ariza Luca: Oooh, mysterious... :D :D

150\. (29/04/17) CatsRtheBOSS: I'm really happy that you looked for clues in my chapter! :) I wonder if the quests you mentioned will show up in this fanfic...? XD That's an interesting thought! I actually never considered having Marie Claire show up because the day was really all going to be about Thomas, not to mention that in canon, the main character was running around asking a bunch of people to vouch for her. Good luck on your inspection! :D And make sure to tell people all the hummingbird facts you learned! :P

149\. (29/04/17) hp and stargirl: No pressure, haha! :P And thanks! :)

* * *

 **Chapter Thirty-Nine: Day 31a (Wednesday) – Cautionary Tale (Level 16)**

* * *

Today was exactly thirty days after Marie Claire's first day of classes, which meant that today was the day of her disciplinary hearing, which was why Thomas was in the conference room with Priya and the rest of the university board. Marie Claire's detractors – Bianca, Anders, Lance, Jennie, and Shae – were also inside, seated at one end of the long conference table, whispering quietly to each other.

There were several papers on the table in front of Priya, which seemed to be sorted into two piles. The first pile had reports detracting Marie Claire – an account of the original incident at Blitz, pictures and financial reports of the damage Marie Claire's tank had caused, and some other papers stacked neatly under those – probably the official expulsion papers.

Meanwhile, the second pile had evidence in favor of Marie Claire's continued enrollment at Hollywood U - printed screenshots of her video with Lisa Valentine, detailed reports of her work on Clash of Sunset, two articles about Clash at Sunset's success at Sundance, one article about her own personal success at Sundance, and a printed evaluation of television ratings the day Chance and Zoe's wedding special had aired – with that very project at the top of the ratings, highlighted in bright yellow ink.

As Priya intently looked at a photo from the first pile, Thomas, who was seated to her left, noted with some satisfaction that the second pile was significantly bigger.

He didn't fault Priya for leading the hearing because she was just doing her job. And perhaps there _were_ advantages to having a professor who had never taught her before be the one to look at all the evidence and decide one way or another, because that way she could be trusted to be immovable and impartial.

But Thomas _did_ have a problem with her methods. To his knowledge, she had known very little about Marie Claire before calling yesterday's meeting – a meeting that served no useful purpose, at that. It was purely an intimidation tactic.

Seeing her reach for her pen, he frowned as she scribbled today's date – the thirteenth of February – on top of the expulsion papers, and then continuing on to fill in the necessary details.

 _Somebody's a little too eager..._

Not only that, but she had not, even once, asked for his opinion of Marie Claire, even though Thomas was the one who had taught most, if not all, of her classes. He had seen her as she had been at the beginning; he had seen her fail, and he had seen her succeed. Her talent would be wasted if she merely became some sort of cautionary tale about how students might be expelled if they weren't safe enough, careful enough.

And if Priya had bothered to ask him, he could have told her that Marie Claire was not one to be cowed by shows of power. Intimidation tactics and constructed obstacles like Priya's meeting would only make her more determined. This was the young woman who, after being thoroughly steamrollered by Anders Stone at the Sundance Festival banquet, immediately turned around and, in the same night, arranged to work on a television special with two high-profile superstars. She, along with her co-producer, turned Good as Gold's disastrous dress rehearsal into a full house giving the performance a standing ovation in the course of twenty-four hours. When Marie Claire was determined, she was unstoppable.

His student entered the room with two agents, Ethan and Agoto, following right behind her.

Not bothering to stand, Priya, who was seated in the middle of the left side of the conference table, scowled up at Marie Claire. "At least you had enough sense to be on time for your own disciplinary hearing – if you call _this_ being on time."

Taking her own seat in the middle of the right side of the conference table, her two agents flanking her, Marie Claire unflinchingly met Priya's gaze. "It's eight fifty-eight AM. I'm two minutes early."

The two women held hard eye contact.

 _What happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object?_

Thomas coughed lightly, attempting to break the tension already present in the room. "It looks like all the relevant parties are here, so we can now begin the hearing."

* * *

As Priya gathered the two piles of paper on the conference room desk closer to her so that there was no more space between them, Marie Claire was silent – almost strategically so.

When she was finished with her papers, Priya spoke.

"You were told to complete three high-profile projects before this hearing – and you were able to do so. Your music video, action movie, and television special were all well-done... but even technical skill cannot justify uncontrollable behavior. We will begin this hearing by listening to those who wish to speak against you – and to my knowledge, there are quite a few of them in this room."

The aforementioned detractors crowed gleefully.

Priya smiled indulgently at them. "Don't worry, you'll all get your turns – but we'll start with Bianca Stone."

After taking a seat at the other end of the long conference table, Bianca sighed dramatically before speaking.

"It all started the night before the first day of classes. My entourage and I told these losers-"

Anders cleared his throat warningly at his daughter.

"-uh, I mean, these fellow classmates, that we were going to Blitz that night. They totally decided to come just to stalk us. I mean, who _does_ that?"

Thomas noticed Marie Claire give a small grin that lasted for only a few seconds.

 _It doesn't look like she's denying that part. Is there a story behind that?_

"And when she _did_ get there, she was wearing this hideous sparkly black outfit with weird lines on it. Black was _so_ last decade. And neon lines? _Seriously?_ Marie Claire should have been expelled from Hollywood U that night on fashion grounds alone."

Well, he supposed he couldn't blame Bianca for thinking that. He remembered thinking something similar during Marie Claire's fashionista project.

"I mean, she wore these black strappy heels that had gold accents even though they clashed with-"

 _But... is she still going on about Marie Claire's outfit? How good_ is _her memory? This happened a month ago!_

Priya interrupted impatiently. "We need to hear about her indiscretions, Bianca, not about her fashion sense. Please skip ahead to the portions of the story that are relevant to this hearing."

Brightening up, Bianca replied, "Oh, sure! Well, she acted like a maniac in the club... who assaults somebody else with a drink?! She was so violent that night, and she's _still_ here? What about the safety of the students who _actually_ follow the rules?"

Thomas thought that was it, but she was only warming up.

"Then later that week, she messed up my music video pitch!"

"Oh?" said Priya, leaning forward. She hadn't known about this – and neither had Thomas, for that matter.

Nodding, the student continued, "Yeah! I had already made an awesome pitch to Carlotta Valentine, because she was Lisa's manager and I go through proper channels unlike _some_ people..."

The insinuating look she shot at Marie Claire was completely predictable.

"...but instead of doing things properly, Marie Claire manipulated Lisa somehow and got Lisa to agree with _her_ idea!"

Skeptically, Thomas thought, _I doubt that was how it happened. I saw her treat Holly with respect when they met for the first time. It would be strange if she had acted any differently towards Lisa._

"And the worst thing was, she tricked me when we were shooting Clash at Sunset! My character was a human, but she turned me into a robot! She just did that out of spite because we both know that I'm a much better actor than-"

Suddenly, Agoto stood up and declared, "Objection! I file a motion to cross-examine the witness!"

 _...Well, that was... dramatic..._

"Sit down," growled Priya at Thomas' agent student. "If you think this is some sort of courtroom, you are _sorely_ mistaken!"

As Agoto did so sheepishly, Ethan spread his arms affably. "You're right, this isn't a courtroom – but Article Thirty-Three, Subsection C of the university bylaws states, _'The accused student shall be allowed to ask one question of any character witness.'_ I think it would benefit Marie Claire to take this opportunity to do so."

 _That's true,_ thought Thomas.

It seemed that Priya knew that as well – as she should, having reviewed the bylaws herself only about fourteen hours ago – because she merely nodded.

"I see you've done your homework. Very well. Go ahead, Marie Claire. Ask Bianca a question."

Thomas raised his eyebrows. This was the first opportunity Marie Claire had to turn the hearing in her favor. She would have to choose her question carefully, because knowing Priya, she wouldn't get more than one.

"Uh... Bianca..."

 _Despite her composure, she must be more affected by this than she lets on if she's stuttering while talking to Bianca._

Then she suddenly grinned and said quickly, "...isn't it true that I've helped your career?"

Bianca snorted. "As _if!_ That's a great joke, Marie Claire – why don't you tell another one?"

Not taking the bait, Marie Claire merely raised her eyebrow at her classmate and smiled. "I'm _not_ joking, and you know it. You were included in Clash at Sunset after your dad forced me to cast you – which is total nepotism, by the way – and didn't you win a Breakthrough Talent Award at the Sundance Festival after you starred in _my_ movie?"

"It's not _your_ movie if _my_ dad wrote the check, Marie Claire," retorted Bianca, "and anyway, that was just a coincidence!"

Seeing that she was winning, Marie Claire pressed on, "And isn't it true that-"

"Enough!"

It was Priya who had spoken – and she looked extremely irritated. "That was already _two_ questions, Marie Claire, when you were _supposed_ to ask only _one!_ Do you _really_ want to break the rules at your _own_ hearing?"

 _Priya makes a good point._

Marie Claire grudgingly backed down, but a whispered comment from Ethan made her smile again.

"Now," Priya said to the room at large, "let's continue..."

* * *

Unfortunately for Priya and Bianca, Bianca's friends were terrible witnesses. Jenni incriminated herself in her testimony; Shae talked about hating rocks; and Lance, who tried his best to make it seem like Marie Claire was incompetent, was compelled to stop his testimony before saying something in her favor. Judging from the way she was glaring at all of them, Bianca was sure to have an earful for them later, but thankfully, that was not Thomas' problem in the slightest.

However, the next person to testify would definitely be a problem.

From one end of the long conference table, Anders stood up and walked to the area where he was supposed to sit in when he addressed the room at large. He seemed to be swaying very slightly as he walked to the correct seat.

 _Strange. Is he that happy to be testifying against Marie Claire?_

Once he had settled in, he looked up at everybody with a grin that was just a touch too relaxed for the current professional setting.

"I've worked with thousands of people in my life," Anders said as he placed his elbow on the table and placed his chin on top of the back of his right hand, "but Marie Claire really takes the cake. She was indecisive and uncooperative!"

He waved his left hand towards her for a moment to emphasize his point before his hand landed with a hard _thump_ on the table.

"She put up a fight before renovating the set to be an acceptable environment for her cast and crew. It was a nightmare trying to get her to do the movie properly!"

As Agoto whispered something to Marie Claire, Thomas looked at Anders closely. He couldn't quite put his hunger on it, but to him, it seemed like Anders' movements were a little... erratic. _Is he unwell?_

"Marie Claire." Priya said crisply. "Do you have a question for Mr. Stone?"

She straightened up and nodded. "Yes." Turning to him, she asked, "Are you drunk?"

 _Oh, that would explain it._

Anders crossed his arms and tried to look innocently indignant, but his slightly sluggish behavior ruined his intended effect. "What an absurd thing to ask! I'm not the one whose integrity is in question!"

Because of his inebriated state, Anders' testimony was worthless, and from the balled fists Thomas spotted under the table, it seemed that Priya knew that too.

"Actually... I can smell the alcohol on your breath from here," she said.

Thomas blinked. That was true. For some reason, when it wasn't known, Thomas hadn't noticed – but now that he had been informed of the fact, he could smell the stink of alcohol on Anders, as if he had bathed in it. How had he missed that?

Triumphantly, Agoto added, "And the university bylaws say that statements from witnesses under the influence must be completely disregarded."

Upon hearing that, Anders stood up forcefully, knocking his chair to the floor. "This is an outrage! Do you know who I am?!"

Incensed, Priya stood up as well, walking a few steps until she was standing in front of Anders, her face only a few inches from his. "Do you," she growled, "know who _I_ am? You've made a mockery of this hearing, Mr. Stone. I suggest you leave."

He didn't leave the room, but he did join his daughter and her friends on the other end of the table. Priya, visibly annoyed, returned to her own seat across from Marie Claire, who, from the slight smile on her face, looked like she didn't mind the recent turn of events in the slightest.

* * *

"Now," said Priya, "that we've heard a few people speak against Marie Claire, we'll move on to the next stage of the hearing. You must now call three Hollywood professionals to speak in your defense, Marie Claire."

His student brightened up. "Sounds perfect. We'll start with Lisa Valentine!"

 _That makes sense,_ thought Thomas. _Her music video was Marie Claire's first high-profile project._

Ethan excused himself from the room, and, after a few moments, he returned with Lisa as well as Marie Claire's other witnesses, Zoe Rodriguez and Holly Chang. While Zoe and Holly took seats next to Agoto, Lisa sat in the chair that Anders had vacated earlier.

"What can you tell us about Marie Claire, Ms. Valentine?" asked Priya.

Looking every inch a pop star, Lisa spoke – and more calmly than Thomas would have predicted.

"Marie Claire and I worked together on my first music video. My mom was always trying to control my life, making all my choices. But Marie Claire asked me to imagine what our video could be."

Bianca interrupted, "You mean when she stole that project from me? I was supposed to-"

" _No!_ Your pitch was awful! We only listened to you because you had that famous director Willy Kloin agree to work with you! You wanted a make a video for some five-year-old unicorn lover!"

Subtly, Ethan turned to Lisa and seemed to send her a silent message of sorts.

"Right..." she said, "adult."

She took a deep breath.

"Marie Claire's pitch was obviously cooler than Bianca's, and she had all these awesome plans about what would happen in the video and how it would turn out. I'm really glad I chose her She helped me to be my own person. My mom doesn't run my life anymore. Now _I_ call the shots!"

"Ha!" Bianca scoffed. "And look where it's gotten you!"

She dramatically threw a magazine on the table, which was passed down until it reached Thomas and Priya. Lisa, wearing a provocative outfit, was featured on the cover, along with a headline that read-

"Lisa Mermaid," Priya read out loud, " _Too_ Grown Up?"

"I guess this is what happens when Marie Claire makes friends with people! I guess we can _all_ see the effect of Marie Claire's influence!" finished Bianca gloatingly.

"What do you have to say to that, Ms. Valentine?"

Lisa looked at Priya defiantly. "You know what? You _bet_ you can see the effects of Marie Claire's influence. Everyone I knew wanted me to stay a little girl forever... But I'm twenty years old! I'm _not_ a little kid anymore! I was trapped in a box... and Marie Claire helped me escape it!"

Looking between Lisa and Marie Claire, Priya murmured, "Interesting..."

 _Parts of her testimony worked in Marie Claire's favor, but as for the other parts... well, I suppose things could have gone worse._

Next up was Zoe Rodriguez. Rather than taking Lisa's former seat, she just stood at the end of the table and spoke – but she proved to have a very short testimony.

"Thanks to Marie Claire, I didn't marry a shallow dirtbag. Marie Claire rocks."

Leaning forward, Priya said, "A fine statement, Ms. Rodriguez, but isn't it true that-"

But people seemed to be in an interrupting mood today, because Zoe didn't let Priya finish her sentence.

"I'm done talking now," she said matter-of-factly. "Don't test me."

Priya raised her eyebrow. "Very well. Sit down."

Thomas was thoroughly amused by the whole exchange.

The action superstar sauntered back to her former seat and did so, seeming to not care about Priya's opinion in the slightest.

Immediately after, the short-haired woman next to her stood up, just as Marie Claire said happily, "Next, we're bringing up Holly Chang!"

* * *

Internally, Thomas smiled. This was a good move on Marie Claire's part. Holly was serious, unlike Lisa; and she would likely say more than twenty words, unlike Zoe. She would be sure to give a good testimony.

But his musings were interrupted by Priya saying a single word.

"Who?"

Marie Claire tilted her head and gestured towards Holly. "Holly Chang! If it weren't for her, Bianca's horrible acting-"

"Hey!"

"-would have ruined Clash at Sunset!" she finished, not even missing a beat. "Her scriptwriting skills saved our movie!"

Priya faced Holly. "And... while that's all very well and good... what other film productions have you taken part in, Ms. Chang?"

Before she could reply, Ethan interjected, "Holly Chang is _famous!_ Everybody was fighting to win the right to produce Permanent Wound. Everybody in Hollywood knows about that script, and Holly wrote that entire thing!"

"More like infamous! That movie isn't well-known because of how good it is! Holly Chang isn't some legendary scriptwriter – she's a cautionary tale! Permanent Wound is most famous for _never being made!_ "

Furious, Holly retorted, "Only because no director was worthy of making it!"

A pause.

"Duly noted," replied Priya, unconvinced. "But it is the decision of this board that Ms. Chang is _not_ an industry professional!"

Thomas thought that the shocked gasps that were heard all around the room after that statement were really quite dramatic.

Never mind that _he_ had gasped, too.

* * *

(End of Chapter Thirty-Nine.) (06/05/17.)

* * *

 **00\. My personal comments:**

Here is the first part of Marie Claire's hearing, with the hearing itself taking place exactly thirty days after Thomas met Marie Claire for the very first time! :) And Thomas was reminded of the 'irresistible force paradox' when Marie Claire and Priya interacted at the beginning of the chapter :P (By the way, if anybody is curious about the two "writing techniques" I used in the previous chapter, feel free to send me a private message! :D) (But they're not very fancy, so don't expect too much! :P)

* * *

 **01\. Canon compliance:**

The only HWU quest that took place in this chapter was The Hearing (L16).

* * *

 **02\. A tiny request:**

Thank you for reading my fanfic! :D If you've read this far, I hope you'll consider taking an extra minute to leave a review for Chapter Thirty-Nine ("Cautionary Tale")? :D Reviews really mean a lot to me as a fanfiction writer because I get to hear your thoughts on something I worked really hard on ^_^ Even if it's the year 2075 or something, I would love to hear your thoughts on this chapter! :D

* * *

 **03\. Two interesting HWU things:**

One, the HWU online television series! :D Did you know that a fellow HWU fan, Zoe (her username on Tumblr is "dizzyclueless"), is diligently working on HWU: The Series? It's a fan-made online television series based on Thomas Hunt and other characters from Hollywood U! ^_^ (At the moment, I'm just a very enthusiastic supporter... but I would LOVE to be involved in HWU: The Series someday! :D) You can find out more about this AMAZING television project on Tumblr (their official Tumblr blog is "hwutheseries"). I just LOVE how Pixelberry and Hollywood U have inspired SO many of us fans! ^_^

And two, my second HWU fanfic! :D If you're interested in reading Marie Claire's perspective of this chapter (Chapter Thirty-Nine), then I encourage you to read "NYTMC 2: Marie Claire's Interlude" ^_^ Here's the summary: _"(Part two of the NYTMC series.) (Midquel.) How did Marie Claire Hart fall in love with her most dashing, yet most cantankerous, professor? A retelling of my MC/Hunt fanfic "NYTMC 1: Not Your Typical Meet-Cute" from Marie Claire's perspective, in 100-word drabbles."_


	40. Day 31b (W): Fairy Tale (Level 16)

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Hollywood U. This amazing game belongs to Pixelberry! :)**

* * *

 **My responses to your reviews:**

159\. (08/05/17) Izz: Yay! :) Glad to hear that you're loving my writing! :)

158\. (08/05/17) Guest: Thank you! :D

157\. (08/05/17) Guest: Me too! :) It is a very special scene that truly belongs in this story :)

156\. (07/05/17) Ariza Luca: I agree... he is indeed very amusing! :P (And I'm so glad you're very excited! I hope that this next chapter does not disappoint! :D)

155\. (06/05/17) CatsRtheBOSS: I am also very excited about the chapter you're about to read! :D And thank you so much for noticing! I worked really hard to make sure that everything happened exactly the way it did in canon. I think it's very rewarding to write, and read, about the hearing this way! :) It looks like you're able to predict what chapters are going to be about before I publish them... any guesses for future chapters? XD

* * *

 **Chapter Forty: Day 31b (Wednesday) – Fairy Tale (Level 16)**

* * *

Visibly shaken, Ethan addressed Priya. "We... we request a brief recess to find another person to vouch for Marie Claire."

Thomas knew that was their last chance, and from the look on Ethan's face, he knew it too. According to the university bylaws, students could request such a brief recess if they so chose. While it was officially so that everybody could have lunch and pay their full attention to the disciplinary hearing afterwards, it was also possible to be used as it was being used right now – as a desperate plot to get just a little more time to do something, anything, before the end came.

"There are no breaks, Mr. Blake," she snapped in annoyance. "Produce your third industry professional _immediately._ "

He looked at his colleague in surprise. Priya knew the rules as well as he did. She had an occasionally abrasive, demanding personality – but she was a professional. She followed the rules because she had her own integrity to uphold. This type of behavior, coming from her, was disappointing. To deny the students of something that they were well within their rights to ask was unethical. Had she always been this way?

"What about Article Forty-Two F of the university bylaws? 'A thirty-minute break _must_ be allowed for lunch?'"

After being quoted the rules verbatim, Priya had no choice but to comply. "Very well. You've got a half hour. I suggest you use it wisely."

Ethan nodded, and without making eye contact with anybody, he, Marie Claire, and the rest of their group left the conference room.

As the other professors talked amongst themselves, Thomas turned to Priya. "Why did you tell them that they couldn't have their break?" he asked. "You know perfectly well they're entitled to one."

She sighed. "This is a waste of time, Thomas. Look at the industry professionals they brought to this hearing – an out-of-control party girl and an action movie star who looked like she couldn't be be bothered to talk about the student she was here to support. We should just get this over with."

Priya shook her head.

"Besides," she said, "it's not as if they're going to find anybody. What industry professional in their right mind would vouch for that student?"

 _I don't know either._

* * *

As Priya stepped outside to take a call, Thomas stayed seated at the conference table and thought about what had just taken place.

Hollywood U students worked with established stars, but it was rare for those stars to visit campus, unless they were invited by a professor to take part in a class project. It was extremely unlikely that Marie Claire would find somebody to vouch for her in the short time that she had to do so.

He imagined that they were holding some sort of meeting right about now, trying to think of everybody they had ever worked with – or even everybody they had ever met – and thinking of ways to contact them and get them to come to the university before their time was up. Would they be running around the campus, scouring the lecture halls for a industry professional who had come in that day? Had they texted all their contacts, hoping that one would reply and be the one to give a good enough testimony?

But whoever was high-profile enough would be too busy at this time of day. The chances of finding somebody _and_ having that person be willing to come in _and_ their _actually_ being able to come to the university in the next thirty minutes _and_ be able to present a coherent, believable enough case to convince _Priya,_ of all people... what were the chances? It would be impossible for everything to work out for Marie Claire.

"Thomas?"

He looked up, and according to the clock on the wall, almost thirty minutes had passed while he had been sitting and thinking to himself. Time really did fly – for him, and most likely for the student somewhere on campus who was about to be expelled.

"What is it, Priya?" he asked neutrally.

It turned out that Priya wanted to ask if he could look for Marie Claire and bring her in.

Thomas agreed.

* * *

They were easy to find, all of them. And there were plenty of them, because it seemed like other students had known of Marie Claire's ordeal and had come to offer her support. Addison, Ethan, Crash, Lisa, Zoe, and Holly were there, along with the many classmates Marie Claire had collaborated with on her various class projects.

On some level, he had known how much support she had – after all, it had been Thomas who had given her the class assignments that had let her meet almost everybody standing before her now. But to see them gathered here, giving Marie Claire support as she tried to find a way out, showed him that they believed that she was worthy of their loyalty, and he hoped Marie Claire knew that and was humbled by that.

She was standing several feet in front of Thomas and to his left, while Addison, Ethan, and the others were gathered to his right. As he watched, Addison walked across the small gap that separated them and gave her a long hug, which Marie Claire returned, hugging Addison as tightly as she could. When they parted and Addison turned her back to return to the others, Thomas could see tear tracks glistening on her cheeks, mirroring the faces of the people she rejoined, who were wiping away their own tears.

He didn't want to interrupt them, but he had to, before Priya thought up even more consequences for her for being late to the final part of her hearing. As he walked closer, he could hear Ethan's despondent voice carry over.

"You can't give up, Marie Claire. We won't let you."

He was Marie Claire's agent, which meant that out of all the agents in Hollywood, he had seen her first; had known what she could do before any agent did – perhaps even before Marie Claire herself did.

"Ethan..."

Finally, Marie Claire had spoken. As Thomas continued to walk, he realized that he had been waiting for her to speak; he had wondered, inside, how she was handling the fact that her movie star career was going to come to an end. Where would his student go? What did people who were expelled from the best filmmaking university in the world go?

"...this isn't me giving up. It's me making the best of a bad situation."

Thomas was perplexed. How was she making the best of a bad situation by spending her time talking to her friends instead of using that same time to contact any celebrity she could. As an experienced agent, Ethan might be able to get somebody to come. Lisa and Zoe likely had their own celebrity contacts. So why weren't they trying their best? Why were they listening to this person who, despite saying that she wasn't giving up... was, by her inaction, giving up?

"I came to Hollywood because I wanted to be a movie star... And I got to do that! I was The Stranger in Clash at Sunset, _and_ I got to officiate Chance and Zoe's wedding!"

That was true. The part she had played at that wedding was not a small thing. Not only that, but while Marie Claire had not been the star of Clash at Sunset, she had still played a very memorable character. The Stranger had been the protagonists' wise and powerful mentor, leading them through dangers and teaching them what they needed to know until they had learned enough to be able to find their own way in the world.

In fact, The Stranger had been to Clash at Sunset what Yoda had been to the Star Wars franchise – the powerful and mysterious warrior in whom people had been more interested than the protagonists themselves. Due to limited screentime, those characters weren't exactly the stars of the movies they had taken part in... but they _could_ be considered those movies' _legends._

"Professor Singh may be closing the door on Hollywood U... but that's not going to stop me from following my dream! Because I _never_ give up! I _always_ keep fighting! Whatever the committee decides, I'm going to make it!"

It was funny how one people could look at things so differently in just the span of a few days. When Zoe had left Chance at the altar and Marie Claire had made her speech telling everybody how to feel, she had been terrified, afterwards clutching her bridesmaid's bouquet so hard that her fingertips had turned white. She had known that there was a possibility that one or both of the celebrities would refuse to vouch for her at her hearing, and she had been afraid of the future, as she should have been. Contacts were everything in Hollywood, and there was no better place to network than Hollywood U, where talented students started their journeys to be talented superstars. If she were expelled, the stigma of that expulsion would follow her to whatever part of the entertainment industry she chose to pursue.

Yet now, even though her fears had come true and Chance had not shown up as her third industry professional, Marie Claire didn't look terrified. On the contrary, she was fearless, promising to herself and to her friends that she would follow her dreams with or without Hollywood U.

And the funny thing was, Thomas believed her. He had seen her fight against impossible odds before, whether it was against countless Sundance Festival entrants or against zombies who were trying to eat her brains. When she said that she wouldn't give up on her dreams, and that she would always keep fighting, it confirmed _something_ inside of Thomas.

He was a few feet away from all of them when Marie Claire noticed him.

"Marie Claire... that speech was..."

What words could Thomas use to describe it?

None.

Because words weren't _enough._

"...Well, never mind. I came to tell you that the hearing is about to resume. Did you find a third person to vouch for you?"

By any chance, had Marie Claire pulled off the impossible – again? Was a third industry professional on their way to Hollywood U – perhaps even already somewhere on the campus?

"No. No, I didn't. Let's get this over with. Whatever the committee decides, I'm ready to face it."

That, if Thomas was honest with himself, was not the response he had been hoping to hear from his student. She was too talented to be expelled. He wanted to hear her say that they had, by some miracle, located somebody who would vouch for her character, who would stand up in front of the university faculty and tell them with absolute conviction why expelling a student such as herself would be a big mistake. But Marie Claire hadn't said anything like that.

Yet even now, as she and Thomas walked side by side so that he could escort her to the conference room as Priya had requested – both of them were silent as they were both lost in their own thoughts – Thomas thought that he had never seen anybody look more serene, and more at peace, than Marie Claire did at this very moment.

And as they both approached the Hollywood U administrative building, rather than the slouching pace of the condemned, he wondered inside of himself why Marie Claire instead seemed to walk with the dignified grace of a monarch returning to her rightful kingdom.

* * *

Wordlessly, he led Marie Claire and her supporters to the conference room and took his seat on Priya's left. Marie Claire sat down as well, in her own seat across the table directly opposite Priya, but her friends, instead of sitting down, instead stood in a row behind her, almost like an honor guard.

Thomas saw that they were staying with her until the end. Even though her friends knew that she shouldn't be expelled, that her skills would be wasted looking for small opportunities out there instead of big opportunities right here, they wanted to show their support for the friend they all had in common – the young woman who had earned Addison's friendship, Ethan's respect, Crash's loyalty, Lisa's gratitude, Zoe's cooperation, Holly's trust, and the esteem of the many classmates she had worked with in the thirty-one days she had been a Hollywood U student.

Ignoring the show of solidarity in front of her, Priya instead asked Marie Claire, "Is your final industry professional ready to speak on your behalf?

Priya, in his opinion, was acting in an unusual manner. As an educator herself, she ought to have been looking for ways to save a student, not send them off. But that could be partially explained by the fact that for most of Marie Claire's university career, Priya had been on sabbatical. She hadn't seen what Thomas had seen.

Marie Claire smiled at her.

"Actually... no."

She didn't lie and say that somebody was on their way, or had promised to send a written statement, or anything like that. Such tactics would have bought her time, but she told the truth. Marie Claire was, despite her flaws, a completely truthful person – honest in what she said; honest in how she reacted; honest in how she dealt with friends, enemies, and everything in between. But, most of all, she was always honest with herself.

Raising her eyebrow, Priya remarked, "I didn't think so."

She picked up her briefcase and opened it, taking out the expulsion papers that she had placed in there prior to the hearing. After Priya placed the stack of expulsion papers on the conference desk in front of her, she picked up her pen.

A hush fell over the room.

"Since Marie Claire failed to provide a third industry professional, I have no choice but to-"

And Thomas Orson Hunt, the professor who has watched over this particular student's progress for thirty-one days now, suddenly thinks that if _she_ can be honest with herself, then perhaps _he_ can be honest with himself, too.

"Not so fast."

"Excuse me?" Priya asks incredulously.

After getting up from his seat, Thomas walks to the chair where the other witnesses had sat during their testimonies and stops beside it, standing tall as he addresses everybody in the room.

" _I_ will vouch for Marie Claire."

"This... is highly unusual, Professor Hunt."

"Understood. But I've worked with this student over the course of countless assignments... And I'm _sure_ you won't question _my_ credentials."

A pause.

"Very well. You may proceed."

And being honest with himself means defending her at this hearing, because Marie Claire Hart, with her incredible talent, astounding determination, and unyielding integrity...

...has earned Thomas' sincere respect.

* * *

Everybody in the room is looking at Thomas now.

Unfortunately he didn't prepare anything beforehand. Even just two minutes ago, he had no intention of doing anything during this hearing besides to sit quietly and watch whatever transpired. He doesn't regret speaking up, because he knows that defending Marie Claire is the right decision – but he hasn't prepared anything to say. How can he condense everything he has seen from this student into a precise statement that would reach his fellow professors?

Gathering his wits about him, he decides to start from the beginning, from his first impression of Marie Claire, and work from there.

"Thirty-one days ago, on the fourteenth of January, which was the first day of this semester, a student named Marie Claire entered my classroom... From the beginning, I found Marie Claire to be narcissistic, entitled-"

Incredulously, Marie Claire blurts out, "You _do_ realize that you're _defending_ me, right? Because this really doesn't sound like a defense..."

 _Is she_ really _interrupting me when I'm trying to speak on her behalf?!_

Frowning, Thomas continues, "-incredibly _rude,_ and otherwise a _complete_ waste of my teaching time."

A soft chorus of groans fills the air as Marie Claire's self-appointed honor guard react. Some, like Addison, shake their heads in defeat; while others, like Lisa, glare at him as if attempting to burn a hole through his skull.

On her part, Marie Claire slumps down in her seat. " _Great._ I'm _so_ glad this is happening."

Even Priya is looking at him strangely, as if wondering if Thomas remembers what defending somebody actually means.

He ignores them all. "However... and I can't believe I'm saying this..."

Thomas sighs.

"Marie Claire possesses... some talent. Ahem, quite a bit of talent, in fact."

Quick as lightning, Marie Claire's back goes from slumped over to arrow-straight, reflecting her shock at what she has just heard Thomas say. "Uh... what?"

Perplexed, Priya adds, "I... concur with Marie Claire's sentiments. Can you give us a few examples of why you have this opinion, Professor Hunt?"

He nods.

* * *

"The first project I assigned to my freshman class was the director project. I normally start the year with the 24 Hour Film project in order to gauge the talent levels of my students.

"Because it was the director project, and Marie Claire's partner was a director major, he did the actual filming of the movie, which meant that Marie Claire took on the role of the movie's protagonist. Their short film showed her versatility as a movie star major – she was able to fight on-screen as if she had experience with weaponry, she rode a horse as if she had done so many times before, and the different faces of her role – to look joyful, furious, mysterious – were very convincingly portrayed.

"Their short film, from my own personal analysis as well as the effusive applause of their classmates, ought to have been chosen as the best in the class. However, due to the fact that they had submitted it fifteen seconds late, the time management criteria of the project disqualified them immediately.

"In his essay about the project, her partner, Diderot Donaldson, wrote that Marie Claire had not only been a talented actor to work with, but a creative partner in the assignment as well. He described an incident where he had mistakenly dropped an ostrich egg, which was supposed to be a key prop in their film, and how he had berated himself because he was sure their film had no chance of being completed after his blunder.

"However, he said that Marie Claire suggested that they use a fake egg instead – which turned out to be a clever decision, since the fake dragon egg that they filmed as being hidden in the shadows highlighted the mysterious nature of the protagonist's quest.

"In addition to that, instead of blaming him for the ostrich egg, Diderot wrote that Marie Claire reassured him that they could find a solution to the problem, and urged him not to give up. She had the determination to see their project through to the end."

* * *

"But couldn't that also be seen as self-serving?" Priya asks skeptically. "After all, you said yourself that she was the movie's protagonist. What if she had merely wanted to take control of their project in addition to already being the main actor of their short film?"

Thomas shook her head. "Even if she wanted to, Marie Claire has shown that she knows that everybody has their own strengths, and that humility from everybody involved is needed when it comes to assigning leadership in class projects based on those strengths."

* * *

"The second class project I assigned to my freshman class was the fashionista project. It had three stages: to put together a 90s ensemble, to create something using only garbage bags, and to create an outfit that would impress the editor-in-chief of Faux Pas magazine.

"For the first stage of the project, Marie Claire and her partner visited a boutique in order to find clothing for a 90s ensemble. Unfortunately, this type of ensemble creation is far from being a specialty of Marie Claire's, if her suggestions of a ruffled blouse with lacey cuffs, turquoise spandex leggings, and fringe moccasins were any indication. Even now, over four weeks later, I am still _appalled_ that any Hollywood U student could have such _erroneous_ judgment when it comes to period fashion.

"But during the project itself, while feeling strongly about her own suggestions, she still acquiesced to the greater, and more period-appropriate, clothing knowledge of her fashionista partner, Farlene Felderman. Instead of insisting on her own way, Marie Claire trusted Farlene's judgment, and that willingness to hand over the reins when necessary – and, I repeat, with Marie Claire's apparent fashion judgment, you _must_ take my word for it that it was _truly_ necessary – led to their group being successful in all three stages of their fashionista project."

* * *

"Isn't Faux Pas' editor-in-chief Marianne Delacroix?"

He blinks. " _That's_ your question?"

 _She... isn't going to bring up my past relationship with Marianne during a student's hearing, is she?_

Priya coughs unconvincingly. "Only... because everybody knows that impressing her is a difficult thing to do."

Nodding, Thomas says, "True. But Marie Claire and Farlene managed to do so anyway."

* * *

"The fourth class project I assigned to my freshman class was the agent project, which was focused on two things: client acquisition and contract negotiation.

"Marie Claire, not being an agent, was required to partner up with one, and therefore was on a team with Agoto Anderson. While not as heavily involved with the negotiation portion of the project as her agent partner, she still gave him good advice on how to acquire clients – by showing them the success they could achieve by having Agoto on retainer. This entailed staging a grand night for a select few of their classmates in the hopes of getting one of them to sign on with Agoto.

"In addition to this advice, Marie Claire was essential in improving their audience's opinion of Agoto, talking about his good qualities and speaking of possible opportunities that they could encounter if he were to be their agent. In his essay about the project, Agoto said that her skills as an adviser and influencer contributed greatly to his acquiring his very first client. Not only that, but her insight into bluffing and interpersonal interactions exposed a weakness of an opposing party, allowing them to facilitate a real-world movie role for their new client and succeed in the project."

* * *

"Wait a minute... did you say that the agent project was the _fourth_ class project?" Priya asks. "If you're going through all of these projects in order, shouldn't you have mentioned the _third_ class project beforehand? Or do you not remember what it was?"

Actually, Thomas remembers, quite clearly, what the third class project had been. It was the model project, where Marie Claire had almost ordered chili cheese nachos, invented her beloved smostril, and glared at him from the catwalk in front of the Orion representatives.

Therefore, this time, it is his turn to cough slightly. "I remember it, but seeing as I intend to vouch for Marie Claire, discussing that particular project at this hearing would be... counterproductive."

"I... see," says Priya, perplexed. "Please continue when you're ready, Professor Hunt."

And for some reason, Thomas suddenly experiences a slightly prickly feeling at the back of his neck, almost as if somebody is glaring at him right now, and the sensation is eerily similar to the way he felt when Marie Claire had glared at him during the model project... but he ignores that feeling as he continues to speak once more.

 _After all, it's probably just my imagination._

* * *

"The fifth class project I assigned to my freshman class was the movie star project, which was mainly about improvisation.

"While Marie Claire herself seemed comfortable with the project, her movie star classmate with whom she had teamed up, Mova Myers, who seemed very used to memorizing lines, struggled heavily with the improvisation unit, to the point of leaving class early in embarrassment. After class ended, Marie Claire sought her out. And after finding Mova in a public place, Marie Claire spoke to her to attempt to help her, during which she educated Mova on film history and encouraged her to try her best in order to make her fans proud.

"Her plan to get Mova more comfortable was unorthodox, but effective. In the course of a night of... unusual training... her partner gained sufficient skill and confidence to return to my class the next day with her head help high – and even after they were presented with an entirely new scene to improvise, they were able to perform completely in sync as they came up with multiple creative ideas for the same improvisational premise... although I will add that Marie Claire showed an _extraordinary_ talent for improvisation before I even assigned the movie star project in the first place-"

* * *

Thomas is suddenly interrupted by a series of tiny, amused giggles that seem to be coming from Marie Claire's side of the table, but when he turns to look suspiciously at her, the giggling quickly changes to coughing.

Before he can say anything else, Priya addresses her irritably.

"Marie Claire, if you require a glass of water, could you please _say_ so instead of disrupting your _own_ hearing?"

As Addison rubs her friend's back soothingly, she says, almost _too_ innocently, "I don't think Marie Claire needs a glass of water, Professor Singh. She just needs a moment to get this... _coughing..._ out of her system."

 _Coughing? As if._

After a few moments, the so-called coughing subsides, and before Priya can ask him any questions about Marie Claire's improv skills and what proof he has to support his statement about them, Thomas hastily continues his testimony.

* * *

"The sixth, and most recent, class project I assigned to my freshman class was the diva project, which had only one goal: to get as much attention as possible.

"With that said, the initial attempt of Marie Claire and her partner to do so – at the Omega Arena, no less – resulted in extremely negative responses. Their performance was described as 'a failure of the highest degree' in a magazine article, and there were even more insulting comments given on social media.

"They were both deeply affected by the negative feedback they received – however, it did not stop them from trying again. Their second performance – this time at the Tastemaker's Toast event at the Sheridan Hotel – was layered with fantasy and mythological imagery. In the essay he submitted about the project, Marie Claire's partner, Dmitri Dalorrey, wrote that Marie Claire had made many of the set design decisions that juxtaposed contrasting elements in order to express powerful emotion – and not only that, but they learned the lesson that the diva project was designed to teach them, which was of monumental importance."

* * *

Raising her eyebrow, Priya asks, "Since you mentioned that the diva project was the most recent class project you assigned, does this mean that this is the conclusion of your testimony, Professor Hunt?"

At her question, Thomas pauses. He had wanted to vouch for Marie Claire because she deserved it – and he had done so. Speaking positively about five out of the six class projects he had given his freshman class was sure to make an impression on Priya and the university board.

To be honest, while he means every word he is saying, it is... embarrassing... to be speaking at length about a student like this. He is used to criticizing students, and even making them cry, but standing in front of his peers to vouch for one feels strange. It is not something he is used to – and he can end his current discomfort by stopping now. He has spoken the truth, and they are sure to listen to him. He has said enough. Surely it is time to finish.

But... he knows, inside, that he has not said enough.

And so Thomas shakes his head.

"No, because to stop now would be to misrepresent this student. There is more to tell."

* * *

"Marie Claire, after being told of the requirement to have three high-profile projects, took action the day after that meeting to recruit her crew for Lisa Valentine's video, All Grown Up. During a very public incident at the park across the street from this campus, Marie Claire met Spencer 'Crash' Yamaguchi and put herself at great personal risk by joining him in a stunt – a spectacularly _stupid_ stunt – involving an ice cream cart and a lake. While I was not privy to the details of their conversation, from Mr. Yamaguchi's explosive appearance on Ms. Valentine's video, it is safe to assume that the ice cream stunt and Mr. Yamagichi's subsequent cooperation are inexplicably linked.

"Additionally, Mr. Yamaguchi was not the only person Marie Claire recruited that day. She also spoke with a scriptwriter, Holly Chang, to recruit her for the video. Ms. Chang, as we discussed earlier, is the scriptwriter of Permanent Wound – a script which she has not allowed anybody to produce because all who have tried refused to stay loyal to what makes the story unique. Such a person would, logically, be extremely choosy with whom they choose to collaborate – but she joined Marie Claire's crew, suggesting that she saw something in her that made the endeavor worthwhile.

"Because we have all seen the music video in question, I will not speak in too much detail about the video itself, except to give my professional opinion that it was a superbly produced video that accurately expressed the emotions behind the song.

"I will instead speak of something that I learned directly from the cast and crew of 'All Grown Up' – that Chris Winters had offered to make an cameo appearance in the music video, which would have intrigued his considerably large fanbase enough to give All Grown Up a chance.

"However, Marie Claire, even knowing the massive publicity such a cameo appearance would have brought to her project, refused to deviate from the script out of loyalty to Ms. Chang. In addition, the fact that the music video was finished in time for Ms. Valentine's debut party, which took place only six days after Marie Claire had been informed of her requirements, shows her capacity for very quick, yet very detailed, work."

* * *

While Priya and the other professors in the room are still processing what they just heard Thomas say, he sees Marie Claire turn to him in bewilderment.

"How did you know about Chris?" she asks, extremely confused. "We didn't mention anything about that on Lisa's official website or... anywhere, really! The only people who know-"

"-are the cast and crew, correct?" Thomas finishes for her. "Marie Claire, I would appreciate it if you would pay at least the slightest bit of attention to your _own_ hearing. I already told you that was _exactly_ from whom I got my information."

As Marie Claire turns away from him to speak with Ethan, Lisa, and Holly, Thomas makes sure to keep a straight face. He _did_ learn everything he knew about Chris' non-appearance from the members of the cast and crew – specifically, from Marie Claire and Holly themselves – on the night of Lisa's debut, when they had spoken to each other in the crowd that had also included Thomas.

 _Well, it certainly isn't_ my _fault if she can't figure that out._

Priya also looks curious, but she knows better than to ask in front of the students. Instead, she makes a slight gesture to indicate that Thomas can continue if he has more to say.

He does.

* * *

"Some time after Ms. Valentine's debut, I was informed through e-mail that Marie Claire had been made the producer of Clash at Sunset – and she had authorized the rental of a very unusual, but very impressive, vehicle – a tank – for the purpose of filming a very specific scene in the movie.

"Intrigued, I visited the set myself – it was a Saturday so I had no classes to teach – and saw Marie Claire managing the set and informing the cast and crew of their tasks. At first, she seemed capable of the role she had been given – but I was concerned when she confessed to a couple of extras that she wasn't entirely certain whether or not the tank was armed, even saying at the end that it might be armed.

"This concern turned into outright alarm when the tank and its driver crashed into a residential home – thankfully an empty one – damaging it almost to the point that it was beyond repair. And while she was not the one driving the tank, as the movie's producer, she was responsible for the actions of her crew – and that responsibility had consequences.

"Not even half an hour had passed when I took the initiative to speak to a higher-ranking member of the university faculty, and in that conversation, due to her blatant disregard for the safety of those around her, I demanded that Marie Claire be expelled immediately."

* * *

Marie Claire's side of the room is looking at Thomas in horror, but he is actually more focused on the reactions of his fellow faculty members. A few of them, like Priya, look surprised, but the majority are nodding slightly, as if they had known beforehand of the conversation to which Thomas has just referred.

That is a limitation that is due to Priya's being on sabbatical until very recently – she is not nearly as well-informed as she presumes herself to be. However, she _does_ know that with Thomas' status as a tenured professor, very few members of the faculty are above him, and that the one he had most likely spoken with was the dean, Andrew Schaeffer.

He can practically read her mind – he knows she is planning to speak to Andrew immediately after this hearing, whatever its outcome may be – but for now, she will not mention Andrew – not in front of the students, who cannot be shown dissent amongst the university staff.

Instead, she says, "You have just said that you, yourself, have recommended this student's expulsion in the past – and for very good reasons, at that. Why did you change your mind? How can a mistake of such magnitude be forgiven?"

It is a fair question.

"Because she admitted her mistake _immediately_ after she made it; did everything in her power to make amends to those who had been affected by her actions; and took precautions to make certain that she would never commit such a mistake ever again."

* * *

"Moments after the tank crashed into that house, Marie Claire was already directing her crew what to do – to inform the authorities, to excavate the residence, and to call for an ambulance if anybody were even slightly injured. Afterwards, she apologized to all who had been affected, and she made sure that the owners of the house, as well as the city officials, were reimbursed for the damage their tank had caused to private and public property.

"While she had made a glaring error in judgment that day, I saw that it did teach her a valuable lesson. Afterwards, during a project with a dangerous stunt involving a helicopter, she made sure that they had tested the helicopter's controls at least twice, and that the helicopter was equipped with safety gear – even to the point that I personally thought was excessive.

"The tank, and the reparations that were required afterwards, took up that last of their funds, compelling them to make a deal with Anders Stone. And while I cannot comment on the movie's production process after that deal was signed, I do know what results their hard work had garnered – Sundance Festival award nominations for both the movie as well as members of the cast and crew.

"During such occasions, university protocol involves sending a member of the faculty to the event in question. As the main professor of several members of the cast and crew, I was the logical choice. I witnessed the crowd's unrestrained, overwhelmingly positive reaction to Clash at Sunset, and I witnessed two of my students receive awards.

"Marie Claire received the New Voice award – the award given to upcoming producers or directors whose distinct style – their voice – can already be discerned even from their earliest works. Having received that award myself in the beginning of my directing career, I can say from experience that those who receive this award are afterwards watched _very_ closely by the entire entertainment industry. Nothing less than _greatness_ is expected of the recipients of the New Voice award at the Sundance Festival."

* * *

Thomas knows how important the Sundance Festival is in the eyes of the entire entertainment industry. And aside from Priya and their fellow professors, only Anders and Holly seem to understand the point Thomas is making – that the New Voice award, in particular, was given _only_ to people with rare talent, _extraordinary_ talent.

And only two people inside this very room have been found worthy of that award.

Breaking the silence, Priya says, "As you have spoken about Marie Claire's first two high-profile projects, I take it that you also intend to speak of the third one – the wedding television special?"

"No," Thomas says, shaking his head. "For my last example, I will speak of something that is connected to the university itself."

* * *

"During my first lecture with my freshman class after I returned from attending the Sundance Festival, I taught my class about the importance of publicity in the entertainment industry, citing the Orchid Theater's _lack_ of publicity as one of the reasons why it had announced that it was closing its doors.

"After my lecture, one of my Broadway students, Bradley Billingsley, spoke with the dean about the Orchid Theater, and later that same day, Marie Claire and Bradley submitted a formal written grant request to the university, stating their intention to produce Good as Gold at the Orchid Theater, and saying that the two of them, as the musical's co-producers, would share responsibility in all creative, executive, and financial decisions regarding the production.

"From their social media accounts and from the post-grant report that they submitted afterwards, I was able to receive a clear picture of their individual contributions. In a role reversal from her first class project with Diderot, Marie Claire had a bigger role off-stage, while her partner in their joint venture, Bradley, had a bigger part onstage.

"Because of this division of responsibilities, Marie Claire made important financial decisions regarding the partition of the grant they received from Hollywood U for their production of Good as Gold. And after Bradley had unwisely given their remaining grant money to an unscrupulous person pretending to be a city official, Marie Claire, who had more contacts compared to Bradley, who had only just enrolled at Hollywood U, utilized her network to recruit willing classmates to help with wardrobe, set design, music, and other production needs.

"The public interest that their efforts had generated piqued the university's interest to the point that we placed a bid to purchase the Orchid Theater. Their dress rehearsal was admittedly a disaster. But, on social media, they documented the production's behind-the-scenes progress from the end of the dress rehearsal to the beginning of their opening night as Marie Claire, Bradley, and the cast and crew of Good as Gold worked tirelessly to make repairs and do everything in their power to make their musical a success.

"On their opening night, everything transpired the way it was supposed to, in front of a full house who afterwards gave them an outstanding standing ovation. And around ten minutes after the performance ended, I received confirmation from the city that Hollywood U's bid for the Orchid Theater had been accepted.

"While it had ultimately been the university's decision, the purchase of the theater would not have been on our radar had it not been for the joint efforts of Marie Claire, Bradley, and their cast and crew. They were capable; they did not give up, and that made the difference."

* * *

Thomas gazes at everybody in the room as he makes his concluding statement.

" ** _In order to succeed at Hollywood, you have to have humility, thick skin, and an iron will. All things I assumed Marie Claire lacked."_**

The requirements of her academic probation, Thomas knows, had seemed impossible for a student at first. But in the past thirty-one days, he has seen Marie Claire grow not only as a student, as a person. She was humble enough to know when to lead in her class projects and when not to; she had resisted the demise of Clash at Sunset by signing a contract with Anders Stone; and, after being cheated by him, Marie Claire had walked back into the Sundance Festival VIP party and negotiated a television deal with Chance Duncan and Zoe Rodriguez.

" ** _But I was... I was wrong about Marie Claire. At least in this regard."_**

It is not easy for Thomas to admit that he is wrong – but he is being honest with himself, and with everybody in the room. In the past, he had assumed that she was thoughtlessly reckless; that she didn't understand the opportunities she had been given; that she didn't value the people who supported her and helped put her dreams within her reach.

He had been mistaken.

" ** _When I look at Marie Claire now, I see a rising star."_**

In just thirty days, she had produced a music video for a pop star, a movie based on a very popular young adult novel, a television special featuring two superstars, and a stage musical that had saved a magnificent theater.

She has won the respect of the media, who named her The One To Watch at the Fairy Kingdom Formal.

She has won the respect of her peers, who voted her Best Actor at the Thomas Hunt Awards.

And she has won the respect of the internationally-acclaimed Sundance panel, who bestowed upon her the New Voice award at the Sundance Festival.

He pauses.

 _No,_ he corrects himself, _Marie Claire didn't_ win _their respect._

 _She_ earned _it._

" ** _One with character and absolute tenacity."_**

And the funny thing is, her talent had been something he had seen develop in thirty-one days – but her character had only taken a week for Thomas to discern. Some people might say that Marie Claire choosing to stay loyal to Holly was a small thing – but Thomas knew otherwise.

For a student who had to have been desperate for her first project to be a success, having a star like Chris Winters feature in a cameo in her music video would have opened doors for her – perhaps she could have collaborated with higher-profile stars on higher-profile projects.

But by making the choice she did, her integrity was something that Thomas acknowledged only after knowing her for six days – and somehow, he knows that his trust in her is not misplaced.

That loyalty extended to all of her friends, to the point that she would risk her standing as a student for them. How a student on probation had had the nerve to walk into his office and request a stunt program, Thomas didn't know.

But he had given her proposal a chance – and her determination to give her friend a fighting chance to be educated at Hollywood U had paid off. After being impressed by Crash's skills and daring, Thomas had kept to their agreement and proposed the stunt program to the rest of the faculty – not because Marie Claire had asked him for it, but because she had _proven_ to him that the stunt program was worthy of a place in the university curriculum.

And she hadn't made such an impression on Thomas just because of one incident, or two, or five, or even ten.

It was everything he had seen in her in class, and everything her class partners had said about her in her essays; and everything that he had seen in her outside of class. She is intelligent enough to lead; humble enough to follow; genuine enough to try and make friends with people she met; loyal enough that the friends she _did_ make would be ones she would never betray.

Marie Claire is also honest enough to admit her faults; brave enough to fight for what mattered to her; smart enough to learn from her mistakes; determined enough not to give up, talented enough to make her dreams come true; idealistic enough to see beyond the present; and wise enough to remember the past.

" ** _Marie Claire has become someone who will never give up... and Hollywood U would be wrong to give up on her."_**

In the course of thirty-one days, Thomas has come to see Marie Claire not only as a student under his tutelage, but as a colleague in the filmmaking world on which he firmly believes she will leave an everlasting mark.

Thomas respects Marie Claire.

And, more than that... he is proud of her.

* * *

(End of Chapter Forty.) (13/05/17.)

* * *

 **00\. My personal comments:**

Hello, everybody! :)

For a while, I couldn't stop smiling after finishing this chapter. I think my face even started to hurt a little after a while XD Writing this chapter... was an _incredible_ experience. It is _extremely_ rewarding to see over a year of work and planning fall perfectly into place! :D

When I created this fanfic's outline thirteen months ago in April 2016, I included as many main quests and non-main quests as possible for the _very_ specific purpose of giving Thomas a wealth of evidence for why Marie Claire ought to remain a student at Hollywood U. In addition to those, in Chapter Seven, I also had Thomas explain to everybody that _"they would be required to submit a reflective essay every Monday on the activities they had done the week before."_ While Thomas was not present for the majority of most help quests, he has received information about Marie Claire from the reflective essays of her classmates, which he used to support some of his statements during this chapter.

It was a lot of fun to go through past chapters to look for things that Thomas could talk about while vouching for Marie Claire! And of course, in this chapter, there are several obvious as well as not-so-obvious references to past and future chapters of this fanfic XD There was a particular song that I listened to over and over again as I wrote this particular chapter, and it's "I See The Light" from the Disney movie Tangled. It's absolutely perfect for this chapter! ( _"Now I'm here, suddenly I see... And it's like the fog has lifted... And the world has somehow shifted... All at once, everything looks different..."_ ) By the way, the shift from past tense to present tense in this chapter was completely on purpose! :D

At 7,500+ words, this is the longest _**ever**_ chapter of "Not Your Typical Meet-Cute." In this chapter, Thomas vouched for Marie Claire not because he is in love with her, but because he respects her. But even with that said, I personally feel that in some ways, this is the most emotional chapter of "Not Your Typical Meet-Cute" so far :) I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it! ^_^

* * *

 **01\. Canon compliance:**

The only HWU quest that took place in this chapter was The Hearing (L16).

* * *

 **02\. A tiny request:**

Thank you for reading my fanfic! :D If you've read this far, I hope you'll consider taking an extra minute to leave a review for Chapter Forty ("Fairy Tale")? :D Reviews really mean a lot to me as a fanfiction writer because I get to hear your thoughts on something I worked really hard on ^_^ Even if it's the year 2075 or something, I would love to hear your thoughts on this chapter! :D

* * *

 **03\. Two interesting HWU things:**

One, the HWU online television series! :D Did you know that a fellow HWU fan, Zoe (her username on Tumblr is "dizzyclueless"), is diligently working on HWU: The Series? It's a fan-made online television series based on Thomas Hunt and other characters from Hollywood U! ^_^ (At the moment, I'm just a very enthusiastic supporter... but I would LOVE to be involved in HWU: The Series someday! :D) You can find out more about this AMAZING television project on Tumblr (their official Tumblr blog is "hwutheseries"). I just LOVE how Pixelberry and Hollywood U have inspired SO many of us fans! ^_^

And two, my second HWU fanfic! :D If you're interested in reading Marie Claire's perspective of this chapter (Chapter Forty), then I encourage you to read "NYTMC 2: Marie Claire's Interlude" ^_^ Here's the summary: _"(Part two of the NYTMC series.) (Midquel.) How did Marie Claire Hart fall in love with her most dashing, yet most cantankerous, professor? A retelling of my MC/Hunt fanfic "NYTMC 1: Not Your Typical Meet-Cute" from Marie Claire's perspective, in 100-word drabbles."_


	41. Day 31c (W): Secret Tale (Level 16)

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Hollywood U. This amazing game belongs to Pixelberry! :)**

* * *

 **My responses to your reviews:**

168\. (20/05/17) pikapika: Hahahahaha! XD XD I never thought that I, a young woman in her twenties, would be very flattered to be mistaken for a grumpy male university professor who is NOT in his twenties, but I actually am! XD Your comment made me laugh in delight for far longer than a cooler person would have XD Thank you! :D And thank you as well for the yummy cake! :D (Mmm... cake...)

167\. (20/05/17) MiraMaria: They were all coughing for different reasons, haha XD But I liked Marie Claire's coughing scene the best out of those three coughing scenes XD I'm really glad you enjoyed reading that chapter! :) Oooh, you found the clue I wrote in Chapter Thirty-Nine about the date! :D And though you were guessing, you are absolutely correct... The Chapter I Have Been Waiting For (Chapter Forty-Three) will be about Valentine's Day! :D Thank you for reading my fanfic closely enough to spot the clue... as a writer, it makes me really happy to see that people are reading my story this closely! :)

166\. (20/05/17) MiraMaria: That pen scene is a very special scene! :) :)

165\. (18/05/17) alicexcx: I try my best! :)

164\. (15/05/17) hp and stargirl: Thank you so much! :D :D Writing this chapter felt amazing! :)

163\. (14/05/17) CatsRtheBOSS: Writing that chapter meant a lot to me :) It was really rewarding to see Thomas be able to admit to himself that he is proud of Marie Claire, especially considering the fact that she has been able to do a LOT in just thirty-one days O.o Looks like that chapter made both of us smile! :) :) (And I'm so glad that you asked about the writing "techniques" I used in Chapter Thirty-Eight! :D I'll send you a private message about them! :D)

162\. (14/05/17) alicexcx: Thanks! :)

161\. (14/05/17) lxaah11: Hee hee! Good to see you on the reviewers list! :P Thank you for reviewing! :) I really liked that line as well! This chapter was really nice to write because Thomas realizes that he respects Marie Claire at the same time that he's telling people about her accomplishments :)

160\. (13/05/17) Ariza Luca: Yay, thank you! :D And you should totally write Hollywood U fanfiction... it's a lot of fun! :D

* * *

 **Chapter Forty-One: Day 31c (Wednesday) – Secret Tale (Level 16)**

* * *

As he walked back to his seat after his speech – which was much longer than he had anticipated it would be – Thomas could feel the heavy gazes of everybody in the room. Even when he had sat down, still, nobody had said a word.

If he had to guess, he would say that his fellow professors were extremely surprised that he has spoken so effusively over a student when he was known for being difficult to impress. Meanwhile, Bianca and her father had identical bug-eyed expressions, as if they couldn't believe what they had just witnessed. Yet those two groups were still, well, alive – the light rises and falls of their chests showed that they were alive and breathing.

Meanwhile, Marie Claire's side of the room looked as if all the members of her entourage had collectively - and telepathically - decided that, no, breathing was really _not_ a necessary function to maintain life. They looked completely still.

Internally, Thomas huffed. _Really? Are people this shocked that I spoke in favor of somebody?_

Then he remembered all of the crazy stunts Marie Claire had pulled over the past thirty-one days.

 _Well, perhaps I can't fully blame them..._

Finally, a single voice broke the silence.

Marie Claire blinked disbelievingly as she stared at Thomas. "That. Just. Happened."

 _Really? Very eloquent, Marie Claire._

But her words seemed to have signaled everybody out of their collective trance, and before anybody else could say a word, Priya said, "I... I will take Professor Hunt's words into account as I make my final decision."

She turned to him.

"You've certainly given me a lot to think about..."

Nodding to everybody else, she left the conference room to decide the university's position on Marie Claire's academic hearing...

...and after Priya returned and gave her verdict, the cheers from Marie Claire's side were so loud and joyful that Thomas was slightly alarmed that they might bring the whole roof down on their heads.

Unnoticed by everybody, Thomas slipped out of the room at the first possible opportunity.

* * *

After he had taken a few steps down the hallway, he heard a familiar voice calling to him.

"Professor Hunt! Wait up!"

It was Marie Claire, and as Thomas turned, he saw Anders walking away from her, muttering under his breath as he glared resentfully at Thomas' student.

 _They must have spoken._

But as she reached Thomas, Marie Claire didn't give any indication that anything she and Anders had talked about had bothered her. Instead, she gave Thomas her full attention as she came to a stop.

"There's something I need to say..."

And then she stopped speaking, choosing instead to gaze at him with an unsettling intensity.

He could probably guess what she was thinking – she must have been asking herself what made Thomas do it; what made one of the strictest professors at Hollywood U speak up at her hearing, in her defense. Thomas knew she must have a dozen questions – but instead, she focused on him, almost as if she were searching for answers to questions that, even now, remained unasked.

Then she grinned.

"Professor Hunt, if we were in medieval times, I would be swearing fealty to you right about now. I owe you one."

He knew that she meant that as a joke, but something in Thomas recoils at the idea of Marie Claire feeling like she owed him any sort of favor.

"You don't owe me a thing. I simply spoke my mind."

In response, Marie Claire laughed merrily. "About that... I think seeing you stand up like that, and saying you were going to vouch for me... that was honestly the biggest shock of my life!"

Thomas raised his eyebrow. "Even more shocking than seeing your friend driving that tank?"

"Absolutely!" she replied without hesitation. "I wasn't expecting all the things that happened that day to, well, happen... but when you have a friend named 'Crash,' you tend to be less surprised than other people would be when certain things happen," Marie Claire said with a laugh.

 _She makes a good point._

Then she became solemn once more.

"Just... thank you," Marie Claire said seriously. "I'll do my best to be worthy of what you said back there."

"See that you do."

Again, there was a pause – not because they were uncomfortable, but because it seemed like there was more that had to be said. On his part, Thomas knows what message he needs to convey to Marie Claire... but how to go about it?

He continued, "That speech wasn't only about who you _are,_ Marie Claire. It was also about who you may eventually become."

Thomas has seen her past – that first day that led to everything that followed. And he has seen Marie Claire's present – a young woman who had many, many friends who were willing to stay with her until the very end.

But friends weren't important to people in the particular organization. He was afraid that they would take Marie Claire from those who believed in her for qualities that were unique to herself. Those people, the people working in the shadows, would believe in Marie Claire, too... but instead of encouraging her, they would bribe her and manipulate her and threaten her. And, in fact, they already had. They had given her a million dollars, ordered her to make a movie, and said that there would be _consequences_ if she failed to finish producing Clash at Sunset.

What would those consequences have been?

* * *

Thomas felt as if he were at a crossroads. If there was a time, if there was ever, ever a time to warn Marie Claire about them, it was right now. She now knew that he genuinely believed in her talent; she now knew that he would do whatever was best for his students. He ought to warn her; he should be as clear as he can.

 _Don't join the Silver Circle._

He could tell her that.

And she would listen.

In this moment, though it wasn't his intention, Marie Claire trusted Thomas. She would listen to him.

 _But it's too late._

She had received the script, and the million dollars, for Clash at Sunset before the end of her second week at Hollywood U. How long had she had her benefactor? Did it start with Clash at Sunset, or was it from even before that?

Marie Claire was, for a student, already very successful – she had produced a movie for which she received the New Voice award at the Sundance Festival. If Thomas told her about the Silver Circle now, she would ask what it was – and what would Thomas say? That they were a network of highly successful Hollywood industry professionals who had bank accounts overflowing with cash and high-profile contacts who worked for free? How terrible!

Even if her told her everything he knew at this very moment, before she was too involved, Marie Claire couldn't do what Thomas had done years ago. When the Silver Circle had revealed themselves to Thomas, he was already an extremely successful director who had built his reputation throughout the entertainment industry. He had achieved an astronomic level of success that meant that his work would forever be considered the best of his generation. And when they had tried to limit his creative abilities by making sure he only received offers for uninspired work, he was able to walk away because he had already proven his talents to the whole world.

But his student was in a very different situation. She was only getting started.

They could destroy her growing career so, very easily.

He couldn't warn her directly about them – but he could warn her about what they might turn her into.

If she joined them; if she rose up in their ranks, as Thomas knew she was likely to... she would see what Hollywood was like outside the protection of her university – underhanded dealings; plagiarism of lesser-known writers; bribery of city officials and industry decision-makers; shunning of friends and contacts according to the organization's will; succumbing to ridiculous requirements and tasks and demands that you knew were wrong; looking down on your nose at those less successful; having to flatter and cajole and lie to people you didn't respect in the slightest – all things that the Silver Circle excelled at.

"There may come a day when you have a choice... do you want to become a mere celebrity, or a person of character? When that decision comes, I hope you remember the things I said today."

 _I hope you remember._

After giving her a nod, he turned and walked away.

* * *

When he arrived home, he opened his journal and picked up his pen.

" ** _Today was Marie Claire's hearing. The three industry professionals who spoke on her behalf were Lisa Valentine, Zoe Rodriguez, and, though it was unplanned, myself._**

" ** _Until I vouched for her at her hearing today, I had not fully realized what an impressive body of work Marie Claire has accumulated for a student of only thirty-one days. She has had experience in music, cinema, television, and the stage. If she could achieve this much in thirty days, what heights will she reach in thirty weeks? Thirty years? A lifetime?_**

 ** _"In addition to giving evidence in favor of her continued enrollment, I said in her hearing that Marie Claire is a person of character. Afterwards, she told me that she would do her best to be worthy of what I said at her hearing. Despite her talent, she clearly has some problems with understanding basic concepts, because I never would have said all those things if I didn't believe in her._**

 ** _"Also, in case this private journal is found after my untimely demise, burn it and scatter the ashes. I have a reputation to maintain."_**

* * *

(End of Chapter Forty-One.) (20/05/17.)

* * *

 **00\. My personal comments:**

I wanted Thomas to somehow document his faith in Marie Claire and yet still sound in-character, so that's what sounded right to me XD And congratulations to MiraMaria for being able to guess something important about The Chapter I Have Been Waiting For! :D

By the way, there are two things that I want to discuss here about the final chapter of "Not Your Typical Meet-Cute" :) The first thing I want to talk about is forewarning, because there will be NONE. The final chapter will come with NO warning whatsoever. I just want to be very, VERY clear about that so that you can prepare yourselves :)

And the second thing I want to talk about is trust. We are closer to the final chapter now than we have EVER been before. And when that time comes, I hope you will trust me. For over a year now, you've trusted me to know how to write this story. So, when the final chapter comes, I hope you will trust that I know how to end this story, too. Because I do. I already knew what the final line of this fanfic would be before I even published the first chapter, and, in my opinion, that seven-word line is the only, _**only**_ line worthy of being the final line of "Not Your Typical Meet-Cute."

But now, let's talk about something much more cheerful! :P

This week, CatsRtheBoss published an MC/Hunt fanfic titled "One Year" to celebrate the one-year anniversary of my own fanfic, "Not Your Typical Meet-Cute!" :) So I would like to say a very, very special thank you to CatsRtheBoss! :D I am honored to have inspired you in some small way, and let's both keep on writing HWU fanfiction! Thank you so much! ^_^ (Ahhh, I'm so flattered! XD XD) (My brain tends to be mushy on Saturdays because it's my regular update day, but be on the lookout on Sunday or Monday for my very, VERY detailed review, which will be my response to your "find the references" challenge, CatsRtheBoss! :D Mwahahahaha! :D)

The fanfic CatsRtheBoss wrote, "One Year," is about the main character (named Monique) and Hunt celebrating their one-year anniversary as a couple. Because they take a walk down memory lane, there are lots of fun references to ALL the Hunt dates, so I encourage you to read their fanfic and see if you can spot all the references! :D

And by the way, there is only one more week to go before Chapter Forty-Three ("Fairy Heart"), or, as I like to call it, The Chapter I Have Been Waiting For :D And this is the first time that I'm announcing a release TIME in addition to a release date, but here goes... :D If I have no internet problems or technical problems on the day itself...

 **...then the next chapter, Chapter Forty-Two, which will be about the Hollywood U premium quest "Valentine's Party," will be published sometime between 12:01 AM to 12:29 AM on May 27, 2017, Saturday, Hollywood time :D**

 **(And now, I have just one question for you...** _ **Are you ready to read The Chapter I Have Been Waiting For?**_ **^_^)**

* * *

 **01\. Canon compliance:**

The only quest that took place in this chapter was The Hearing (L16).

* * *

 **02\. A tiny request:**

Thank you for reading my fanfic! :D If you've read this far, I hope you'll consider taking an extra minute to leave a review for Chapter Forty-One ("Secret Tale")? :D Reviews really mean a lot to me as a fanfiction writer because I get to hear your thoughts on something I worked really hard on ^_^ Even if it's the year 2075 or something, I would love to hear your thoughts on this chapter! :D

* * *

 **03\. Two interesting HWU things:**

One, the HWU online television series! :D Did you know that a fellow HWU fan, Zoe (her username on Tumblr is "dizzyclueless"), is diligently working on HWU: The Series? It's a fan-made online television series based on Thomas Hunt and other characters from Hollywood U! ^_^ (At the moment, I'm just a very enthusiastic supporter... but I would LOVE to be involved in HWU: The Series someday! :D) You can find out more about this AMAZING television project on Tumblr (their official Tumblr blog is "hwutheseries"). I just LOVE how Pixelberry and Hollywood U have inspired SO many of us fans! ^_^

And two, my second HWU fanfic! :D If you're interested in reading Marie Claire's perspective of this chapter (Chapter Forty-One), then I encourage you to read "NYTMC 2: Marie Claire's Interlude" ^_^ Here's the summary: _"(Part two of the NYTMC series.) (Midquel.) How did Marie Claire Hart fall in love with her most dashing, yet most cantankerous, professor? A retelling of my MC/Hunt fanfic "NYTMC 1: Not Your Typical Meet-Cute" from Marie Claire's perspective, in 100-word drabbles."_


	42. The Chapter I Have Been Waiting For

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Hollywood U. This amazing game belongs to Pixelberry! :)**

* * *

 **My responses to your reviews:**

174\. (26/05/17) Guest: So that she seems like a real person, with flaws as well as strengths :) As the story progresses, she'll make friends and develop skills :)

173\. (26/05/17) MiraMaria: He said that in his journal so that even if anybody else reads it, they'll know he was still his stern self XD Thank you for trusting me! ^_^

172\. (22/05/17) pikapika: Whew, my secret identity is safe and sou- uh, I mean, ooh, imagine how many juicy secrets could be lurking in that journal of his! :D

171\. (21/05/17) hp and stargirl: It's going to be a chapter unlike any other! Thank you for trusting me! ^_^

170\. (21/05/17) Ariza Luca: That's what I was hoping for! :D

169\. (21/05/17) CatsRtheBOSS: I almost DID self-destruct! A gift was already super nice... but a gift WITH specific references from my own fanfic, posed as a challenge? Even more incredible! :D Thank you for trusting me! ^_^

* * *

 **Chapter Forty-Two: Day 32 (Thursday) –** ** **The Chapter I Have Been Waiting For** (Levels 16-18)  
**

* * *

Thomas opened his eyes just slightly, rubbing them to get rid of the last of his drowsiness. Checking his phone, he found that he had no classes scheduled for the day, but he knew that he had paperwork to complete at his office. As he got out of bed and stumbled towards the shower, he absently thought that maybe there wasn't too much that he had to do – that maybe he wouldn't drown in paperwork this time.

Normally, the campus was fairly quiet when Thomas arrived in the morning, but today there were more students than usual, strolling side-by-side on the stone paths and holding hands while sitting on benches. It was almost as if the number of students at the university had doubled, considering the way they were all paired up like that.

Had there been some sort of recruitment drive that he hadn't been aware of? Had he missed a meeting where this had been discussed? Because Thomas was a tenured professor, he was normally privy to developments at Hollywood U, even introducing some of them himself, like the stunt curriculum that he had proposed to the other professors – though, technically, that really hadn't been his idea, so maybe that wasn't the best example...

Thinking to himself that it wasn't his concern, Thomas walked along the path to the Waldorf Center for Film, the main Hollywood U administrative and teaching building where both his office and his lecture hall were located. He was about to walk up the steps leading to the main doors when he saw a fellow professor.

After greeting Priya, he asked how she had settled in after returning from her sabbatical.

"Well, as you know, the first thing on my agenda was Marie Claire Hart's academic hearing – but after that, Andrew asked me to help him look for a new scriptwriting professor."

"Scriptwriting?" repeated Thomas in confusion. "We don't offer a scriptwriting course, do we?"'

She nodded. "We don't, but Andrew is considering it – he said we should ride the momentum after so recently adding the pop star and stunt programs. I'm going to start looking for candidates next week, after I've had a little time to learn about the new programs on our curriculum."

 _She doesn't seem to know that I was the one who proposed the stunt program._

As they reached the elevator, Thomas pressed the button for the top floor and asked Priya, "So you weren't updated about these developments before your sabbatical?"

Shaking her head, she said, "I asked not to be contacted except in case of emergency. Thankfully, nothing of the sort occurred while I was gone – though _after_ I arrived may be another story. You must have hit your head by accident, since you've changed from the last time I saw you."

 _Changed?_

They both stepped into the hallway after the elevators opened to the correct floor, and he waited a couple of steps before giving her his even reply. "What do you mean?"

"I mean," she said, "Andrew has told me about your classes this semester. An 90s ensemble fashionista project? Pretend agent negotiations? And I even heard something about a zombie-infested mansion!" Priya finished, throwing up her hands.

 _I'll admit that Fear 101 was a little... unusual, but the ensemble and negotiation projects were entirely legitimate!_

Saying nothing, he put his hand on the doorknob of his office door and turned it, Priya continuing to talk as they both entered his office.

* * *

"You're too easy on them, Thomas. We have a reputation, and we need to go through the student body and weed out all the weaklings we find! Why are you coddling them with fun and easy assignments?"

Thomas shrugged.

"To each his own. I've found that stimulating my students through projects and competition motivate them to give their best efforts. In fact, Marianne was impressed by an outfit that one of my fashionista students made when I invited her to judge a class. I'm comfortable with the teaching style I've found. I suppose I _am_ a bit lenient, but-"

"It's not _just_ that, Thomas," Priya snapped. In Thomas' opinion, she seemed a little too irate for a conversation that was only about their differing teaching methods. "You also get too attached to your students... Marie Claire, for example."

He paused a little at that, but in retrospect, he shouldn't have been too surprised. While she had been as taken aback as everybody else about the fact that he stood up to vouch for Marie Claire, she couldn't say anything at the time because of the students that were present. But now that the two of them were alone, she wouldn't hesitate to tell him what she really thought.

"We teach at the most prestigious film university in the world. We expect a certain caliber of student at Hollywood U, and Marie Claire has clearly demonstrated an unwillingness to meet that expectation."

"Do you mean to say that you would prefer to teach students who _didn't_ win prestigious awards for their first Sundance Festival entries?" he asked dryly. "Because if that is the caliber of student that you prefer, we already have plenty of them right here."

He paused.

"Actually, we seem to have more of them today than we ever have before. Why are they all walking around in pairs all of a sudden?"

 _It's as if they're joined at the hip. It's positively eerie._

Giving him an exasperated look, which Thomas felt was wholly unjustified, she addressed his comment about Marie Claire.

"While her New Voice award _is_ very impressive, it doesn't change the fact that she has been extremely reckless and undisciplined in her time here – which has been little more than a month!"

He stopped her before she could rehash everything that had already been discussed in great detail just the day before. "I said everything I needed to at the hearing, Priya. You may not approve, but I'm confident that we won't regret keeping Marie Claire enrolled here."

Wanting to leave the topic behind him, Thomas moved deeper into the room to gaze out the window, and Priya joined him. There were even more students than there had been earlier, and he noticed that quite a few of them were wearing shirts, blouses, or shoes in varying shades of pink or red. Was there some kind of protest that he hadn't heard of?

"Thomas..."

As Priya sighed, Thomas turned to her, wondering why she sounded so sad all of a sudden.

"Maybe I was wrong. Maybe you _haven't_ changed at all. You were always too soft. That's why you and I... That's why you and I just didn't work."

 _That's not..._ He narrowed his eyebrows. "Oh?" he said in a falsely casual voice. "Was _that_ it? I seem to recall that you gave me a _slightly_ different reason years ago. And I accepted it."

She sighed again, even more regretfully than before. And before Thomas knew it, she raised her hand and gently rested it on his cheek.

"Don't you ever wonder in your heart what might have been, Thomas? What _we_ might have been?"

A walk down memory lane wasn't how he expected his morning would go, but now that he was here, he was annoyed by her sudden inclination to bring up a relationship that ended in the distant past. She had chosen to end their relationship because she had to move for her career – and he fully understood, and even agreed with her reasons. But what he didn't understand was why she was acting as if she was the one who had been jilted.

"You don't get to touch me like that, Priya," he said calmly. "Not anymore."

She blinked, letting her hand fall to her side as she straightened up.

"All right then, Professor Hunt. I'm sorry to have bothered you."

 _Finally._

"Is there... is there someone else?"

 _Or not._

Thomas hadn't been expecting her to ask him that bluntly, and he was at a loss for what to say. No, there wasn't anybody else – with his job as a professor, he spent too much of his time and energy teaching his students to have time to be in a romantic relationship. Maybe, if he found somebody similarly dedicated to what they both loved, who would understand that part of his heart would forever hold his love for his craft, and not hold it against him, something could happen. But he didn't know anybody like that.

"No... Maybe... I don't know."

Belatedly, he realized that he had spoken a garbled mix of his thoughts. He pulled himself together.

"I – I just can't do this right now."

Stepping back, Priya said in a neutral voice, "Fine. I'm gone."

She walked out of the room and closed the door behind her, and Thomas slumped against the window sill.

Why had she brought up things from their past that should have remained in the past? He had known, even back then that she hadn't wanted to end their relationship, but she made that choice because she had to. They couldn't change what already happened. So why even discuss it? He wanted her to be a friend and colleague, not somebody who asked him what he _wondered in his heart._

And, as if on cue, four students carrying what must have been a fifteen-foot pink cardboard heart appeared in his line of vision on the left side of his window.

Thomas gave a little laugh, appreciating the irony.

As the four students made their way across the grounds, they were frequently waved to and approached by their fellow students, who must have been their friends. From what Thomas saw, they appeared to be asking if they could help, but those carrying the ridiculously large heart seemed to have everything well in hand, shooing their friends away good-naturedly.

Figuring that the heart must be a prop for somebody's short film, he watched their progress in moving it, estimating that he must have watched them for one or two minutes before they slipped out of sight on the right side of his window. As he turned away from his window, there was a single knock and Priya walked back inside.

Oddly enough, instead of being sad like earlier, she had a neutral expression, as if she were thinking about something and didn't want to give any hints about it.

"Thomas, I have something I need to ask you."

 _Oh, no. This isn't about what we had been talking about earlier, is it? Because if it is, I think I would rather not be asked, whatever it is..._

Nevertheless, he had to reply, "What is it?"

Blinking, Priya answered, "Actually, that was what I was going to ask you." She gestured to an object a few feet away from her. "What is _that?_ "

Following her gaze, he looked to the side and saw the small side table beside his shelf, which had an object placed on top of it.

It was a toy magpie.

It was the stuffed toy magpie that Thomas purchased at the toy store along with the weapons he placed in the house for his Fear 101 lesson.

It was the damaged stuffed toy magpie, with fraying threads and only one eye, looking so out-of-place in Thomas' austere office and yet so pitifully adorable at the same, that was causing Priya to look at him with a wide smile.

 _Uh-oh..._

"You," she grinned, "really _have_ gone soft, Thomas!"

"What- _no!_ " he objected, mortified. "I needed to go to a store to purchase some materials for a lesson, and I happened to buy that toy as well, but-"

She held up a hand, one that was shaking slightly because its owner was struggling to hold back a laugh.

"No, no, Thomas... you don't have to explain! It seems that you've turned into a teddy bear since I've been gone!"

Losing her struggle, she laughed loudly as she turned and left his office, her bad mood from earlier completely forgotten. Though her footsteps eventually faded away, the faint sounds of her laughter lingered in the hall for a few more moments until she had moved far enough away that Thomas could only hear blissful silence...

...but just for a few moments, because after another knock, Andrew entered his office.

"Priya seemed to be in a good mood, Thomas!" he exclaimed, smiling widely. "Any good news you'd care to share?

"No," he grumbled. _Why do women seem determined to turn me into a teddy bear?_

"Ah, too bad!"

After that, he thought that Andrew would get right to the heart of whatever reason he had to visit – but Andrew, not having reason to go to Thomas' office very often, looked curiously at his surroundings.

Thomas sent an urgent glance at the toy magpie.

 _If he sees that scruffy toy like Priya did, I'll never hear the end of it!_

And as Andrew continued to nonchalantly inspect his office, Thomas thought frantically, _Don't notice the magpie... You must not... notice... the magpie..._

Suddenly seeming to remember what he went there for, Andrew said, "Do you know what day it is?"

He nodded. "Thursday."

The dean burst into laughter and told him that it was Valentine's Day, which explained to Thomas why his students had been paired up with each other that morning; why an unordinate amount of them had been dressed in pink or red; and why those four students had been carrying that giant cardboard heart across the campus.

Thomas was slightly pleased to have found the solutions to these little mysteries – though decidedly less so when Andrew told Thomas that he had received an invitation to Aria Sheridan's Valentine's Day party.

"You... want me to go, don't you?" Thomas groaned.

* * *

As he parked his car in front of his house, Thomas thought about his conversation with Andrew. He had probably been invited because of his presence at Aria's Tastemaker's Toast party a couple of weeks ago on the thirty-first of January.

Because it was never a good idea to ignore an invitation from a member of the illustrious Sheridan family, and, more importantly, because Thomas wanted Andrew to leave his office as quickly as possible, Thomas grudgingly agreed to attend to represent the university. After that, Andrew had suggested that he take the day off, since he was, in a way, going to be working in the evening anyway.

And, as a small consolation prize, he was able to breathe a sigh of relief when Andrew left his office without ever noticing the stuffed magpie.

After taking his laptop to his patio in order to catch up on his correspondence, he had been typing for only a minute or two when a magpie – a real one this time – landed a few inches next to his laptop.

"Caw?" Mischief said, cocking her head sideways as she looked up at him.

 _Oh,_ Thomas realized, _she must be surprised that I'm at home this time of day._

Normally, he liked it when Mischief was there – it was nice to have somebody to watch over – but at the moment, all he could recall were his magpie-related troubles earlier that morning.

"Mischief," he mock-scolded, "I know it's not your fault, but another magpie caused me quite a bit of trouble earlier today."

She blinked.

"Therefore I would appreciate it if you could tell your fellow magpies to not make trouble for humans like myself." He frowned, remembering Priya's reaction on seeing the toy. "I don't like being laughed at, and if that magpie had not been there, that would have not happened."

"Caw..." Mischief said, drooping slightly, almost as if she could sense Thomas' disapproval of her species – which was impossible, because she was a bird.

 _Wait... don't animals sense their owner's emotions? There are stories of cats who know when their owners are sad or sick., and of other pets who seem to know when their owners are leaving for a trip, or are coming back from one..._

He started to say something else, to take back what he said, but before he could say a word, Mischief had spread her wings, jumped off the edge of the table, and flown away.

Feeling slightly guilty now, Thomas returned to his laptop.

He tried to pay attention to the emails that needed his attention, but he couldn't help but think of the pet he had driven away. It had been silly to blame Mischief for the actions of a magpie she had never met... a stuffed toy magpie who had never done anything except sit right where Thomas had placed her weeks ago. What was he thinking, harboring irate feelings towards a scruffy toy with one innocent eye?

But before he could scold himself further, Thomas heard the flutter of wings, and before he knew it, Mischief was once again in front of him, and in her beak... was the thickest, fattest cricket Thomas had _ever_ seen in his life.

Hopping towards him, Mischief carefully put the cricket – the squirming, struggling cricket – on the edge of his laptop before looking up at him.

"Caw-caw! Caw!"

This time, it was Thomas who cocked his head as he looked down at her – before he remembered his earlier thoughts.

 _Cats can tell when they owners are sad. Don't... don't tell me..._

And as he continued to look at Mischief, she cawed again and used her beak to push the cricket in his direction.

Coming to his senses, he did the only thing he could think of.

"Who's a good feathered avian?" he said warmly. " _You're_ a good feathered avian!"

If there had been anybody else in the area with them, they would, without a doubt, testify that he did not say that warmly – they would say that Thomas had cooed at Mischief sweetly as he complimented her cricket hunting abilities.

But those people would be big fat liars. Yes. They would be.

After he used a piece of paper to transfer the cricket onto another piece of paper, Thomas carried the cricket into his house – and came back out with trail mix for Mischief, who had somehow known to stay. And as Thomas poured some nuts and seeds onto a saucer for her to eat, her eyes sparkled in happiness.

He smiled...

 _It's as if I had just given her jewels and a crown. It takes so little to make her happy._

...but then he paused.

Jewels and a crown... that sounded familiar to him somehow.

 _Those were the words Marie Claire said to me at the Thomas Hunt Awards, after I said that she would pay for kissing me on the cheek in front of everybody!_

" _Your thoughts of rage are the jewels upon my crown, Tommy Boy."_

Come to think of it, he still hadn't gotten back at her for that silliness...

 _Wait, isn't Marie Claire friends with Lisa Valentine and Aria Sheridan?_

...but tonight, maybe he finally could.

* * *

 _Or maybe I can't._

He stared at the blinking cursor of his word processor, the white page of his open document almost mocking him with its vast emptiness.

Thomas's idea had been simple enough – he would trick Marie Claire into thinking that she had a secret admirer. But in this particular case, getting an idea was much easier than executing it, because Thomas had never been a secret admirer before, or rather been a secret admirer, which he was trying to be at the moment. He could direct, he could teach, he could act, he could model – but 'secret admirer note-writing' was _not_ on his CV.

But perhaps he was making things too complicated. A secret admirer, well, _admired_ the person they were writing to. So all he had to do was think of Marie Claire's good qualities, her admirable qualities, and the notes would simply write themselves.

 _Let's see... Well, she's confident, which is why she's incredible at improvisation – her impression of me stunned her entire class. I remember that Marie Claire almost made one of her classmates burst into tears when she lectured her agent classmate about her choices regarding her client's potential earnings._

 _And speaking of earnings, her dedicated co-producing of Good as Gold led to their opening night being completely sold out. Considering that the Orchid Theater was on its last legs before Marie Claire and Bradley came along, it's surprising that they were able to get people to pay to come – but they did, and their execution of the musical, from the publicity to the performance to the set design – nothing was overlooked at all._

 _She also had previous experience with set design – Dmitri said that she had been in charge of the set design choices during their performances for the diva project. Their second performance used the mythical horse Pegasus as its theme, and the freedom and daring that was evident in the smart way that Marie Claire designed the set perfectly complemented Dmitri's powerful performance at the Tastemaker's Toast._

...That did not help. When he thought of Marie Claire, he remembered her professional successes. And while her accomplishments were indeed admirable, they still weren't things that a secret admirer would write about.

What if he didn't start from scratch, idea-wise? He could look for examples in classical literature for people who admired others and attempt to emulate them. Poets always went on and on when describing what the object of their desire looked like, so he could take the cue from them and describe Marie Claire's appearance in a flattering manner.

Well, she had pink hair. That was easy. But while poets did often describe hair, there was another body part that seemed to captivate them more than any other – a person's eyes. There was even a saying about the eyes being windows to the soul. So if he thought of a good way to describe her eyes, that would be a very good start. He straightened up and started to type.

" _ **Your eyes are the color of..."**_

He paused, bewildered.

 _...What color are her eyes again?_

This should be easy. Marie Claire had smiled at him enough times, not to mention _glared_ at him enough times, so he _ought_ to know... but he didn't.

Thomas was irritated with himself. Was he really so unobservant that he couldn't even remember the eye color of a student he had known for over a month?

Apparently, he was.

But no matter – he would move on for now, and come back to that point if he thought of something useful to write. Meanwhile, he knew that poets also described the bodies of the people they were trying to court. And while eye color was a fairly easy thing to miss, he knew how Marie Claire looked in the general sense, so this would be easier for Thomas to write about. He just had to think of a way to describe her body...

...and he shrugged. She had a body. Everybody had bodies. What else was there to say?

 _Wait... I'm not giving up this easily. Let's see... she was in that swimsuit photo shoot with Modenne... she danced with Lisa and the others in Lisa's debut music video... and she was able to teach the protagonists of Clash at Sunset how to fight, not to mention fight several opponents herself in the movie._

Because of those things, he knew that Marie Claire could model, dance, and fight. So how would he describe her body?

 _'Healthy?' 'Fit?' Those words don't sound like secret admirer material._

He sighed.

I'm _not secret admirer material._

It was bizarre. As a film professor – not to mention his other former professions – Thomas could of course discern who was attractive and who wasn't. And Marie Claire, like most movie star majors, was an attractive person. But sitting down and specifically trying to describe a student as such was, as Thomas found, strangely difficult.

In the end, he decided to consult the internet, and he found a wealth of material about how to write like a secret admirer, and after he felt that he had consulted enough material, he was able to sit down and write four secret admirer notes. The wording he used was juvenile, the poetry he wrote was atrocious – though he hadn't really been trying his best, so there was that, at least – and his day was disturbed once he realized that he would have to purchase flowers in order to complete the ruse.

Thomas had arrived home around lunchtime, which was why Mischief had been confused. But between the painful experience of writing secret admirer notes; printing everything he needed to; stopping by a bookstore for gaudy gold envelopes to put the notes in; standing in line for what seemed like a very long time just to buy a bouquet of red roses on Valentine's Day; and preparing for the party itself, down to choosing appropriate formal attire, tie, cufflinks, and all... he was surprised when he managed to arrive at the Sheridan Hotel at six o'clock in the evening.

And rather than give up, he actually thought that he if had wasted _all this time_ doing so much nonsense all day for the sake of getting back at Marie Claire, he might as well commit to the farce and be the most convincing secret admirer the world had ever seen.

* * *

 _It... looks like Valentine's Day exploded in here._

Thomas was standing of what was possibly the... the _reddest_ room he had ever seen in his life. The lobby of the Sheridan Hotel, normally decorated in tasteful, understated white and gold, was covered in cutesy romantic decorations. Giant heart-holding teddy bears guarded the doors; enormous hearts made of gummy bears lined the walls; delicate pink blown-glass vases stretched all the way to the ceiling; and right in front of the middle of the hotel concierge desk was a life-sized chocolate statue of Aria Sheridan, held up by what looked like a gumball-covered pedestal.

Curious despite himself, he walked up to one of the walls and peered at what was in front of him. It was a heart-shaped mosaic of differently-colored gummy bears, but the level of detail was such that all of the gummy bears were paired up with other gummy bears of the same color, making the entire display extremely colorful, yet subtly romantic – at least in the way of jellied sweets.

 _I wonder if Mischief can eat gummy bears? I know she can eat chocolate chips, but those probably aren't good for her. She really should be eating things other birds eat – but instead of eating the worms and crickets she catches, she gives them to me instead-_

Hearing familiar voice, he turned and saw Marie Claire entering the lobby with Addison and Ethan. As they chatted happily, Thomas quickly made his way to the hotel concierge.

"Excuse me," he said, and, as a professional concierge should, the man behind the desk – whose name was John, according to his nametag – gave Thomas his full attention.

"May I help you, sir?" asked John intently.

Thomas nodded. This was a little embarrassing, but as he had told himself earlier, he pretty much had to commit at this point, or everything he had planned today, not to mention all the time he had wasted, would have all been for nothing. "I was hoping to ask for your assistance in delivering this secret admirer note. I would appreciate your discretion in this matter."

"You have my assistance and my discretion, sir," John replied. "In fact, this is not the first note I've been asked to deliver tonight."

"Really?" inquired Thomas. "How many other people have asked for this same favor?"

Smiling, the hotel concierge replied, "Sir, to answer that question too specifically would be indiscreet on my part – but I can safely say that the number is in the double digits."

"That many?" He supposed that would make sense – there were probably genuine secret admirers somewhere in the party tonight. "Then I'll give you this envelope. Please give it to the pink-haired woman standing in the middle of the lobby. Thank you for your help."

"You are very welcome, sir. Would you like me to give you a few moments for you to conceal your presence?"

Thomas smirked in appreciation. This John really _was_ experienced in handing these things out. "I would appreciate that. Thank you again."

He turned to leave, but the hotel concierge spoke again.

"If you have any more notes you need handed out, sir, please don't hesitate to ask for help from any of the Hotel Sheridan staff. We consider this an honor, and our own way of helping our esteemed guests celebrate Valentine's Day. Please enjoy yourself at the activities and exhibitions available here tonight."

"I'll keep that in mind. Have a good evening, John."

"Have a good evening, sir."

True to his word, the hotel concierge gave Thomas half a minute to hide behind one of the very tall vases in the room – and showing his experience, John did not even spare him a glance, or otherwise do anything else that would have given the game away. He simply took the envelope and walked across the lobby. After tapping Marie Claire on the shoulder, he gave her a short bow before handing her a gold envelope, which Thomas knew had Marie Claire's name on it.

After asking a question and seeing John nod in response, Marie Claire thanked him and opened the envelope, not noticing John return to his post behind the hotel concierge desk as she read Thomas' first secret admirer note.

Of course, being the author of the note, Thomas already knew what it said.

" _ **Dear Marie Claire, I have admired you for quite a while now... I simply can't resist your charms! You're smart, confident, and downright sexy! I wanted to use this day of love to show you how much you mean to me. I have some surprises planned just for you at this party... you never know when one will pop up! XOXO, Your Secret Admirer."**_

Giving a surprised smile, she took her eyes off the note and looked around speculatively. From his faraway vantage point, Thomas couldn't see exactly what she was looking at, but from the way she moved her head, as if she were looking at specific points in space before moving on to others, he guessed that she was looking suspiciously at her friends, wondering if one of them had sent her the note.

Pleased that the first stage of his admittedly unusual endeavor had gone off without a hitch, Thomas smirked and turned around to head to the elevators furthest from Marie Claire. He had something to get from his car.

* * *

Once he had retrieved the red roses he had bought, he returned to the party. As he went past the lobby and into the hotel bar, Thomas was stunned to see who Aria had been able to convince to come – all around him were celebrities from movies, television shows, and other areas of the entertainment industry. Dressed in what Thomas was sure were blindingly expensive evening wear, they all looked like they were having the time of their lives as they chose between the many lavish desserts spread out before them.

Thomas himself would have liked the chance to sample those desserts for himself, but he knew he had something to do first – and after spotting Marie Claire sitting with her friends beside the cast of a popular fantasy television series, he knew it was time to approach one of the hotel staff again.

After flagging down a passing waiter, Thomas asked him for a favor – and the waiter, whose name was Joe, seemed very enthusiastic about his task.

"Sure thing, bro!"

Thomas blinked. After the refined courtesy of the hotel concierge, being called "bro" by a relatively young waiter around the same age as his students was... a change.

"Glad you came to me with this – just a few more and I'm gonna win!"

"Win?" Thomas asked in confusion.

Grinning, Joe replied, "It's like this – we waiters have this little competition every Valentine's Day to see who can give out the most stuff to the guests. Kinda a way to take our minds off the fact that we're working on Valentine's Day and we're probably going to die alone."

 _That's... quite frank of him._

"I... see..."

"Yeah! We all chip in to the pot, and whoever gets the most points wins it all – just like the lottery!" Joe curled his right hand into a fist. "Bro, get this – I almost won last year – and I would have if that guy had just waited a few minutes..."

Thomas was probably going to regret asking, but at this point... why not?

"Why a few minutes?"

Joe looked at him shrewdly. "Well, we waiters have a points system for Valentine's Day..." He proceeded to explain their system, the rationale behind it, and the reason he had lost the previous year, before adding, "I've been on kitchen duty for the past hour, so I haven't been on the floor like my buddies."

Thinking to himself that he might as well help somebody out, Thomas nodded and handed Joe the second secret admirer note and the bouquet of red roses. "Here's your chance – if you can deliver these to..."

A quick glance at the table confirmed that Marie Claire was still there, finishing her dessert.

"...to the pink-haired woman talking to Chris Winters, I'd be very much obliged."

"Chris Winters?" the waiter asked excitedly. "As in Chris Winters from The Last Lumberjack? I loved that movie!" Then he frowned. "He isn't trying to snake your date, is he, bro?"

 _What? Date?_ "Ah, no, she's not my-"

"Oh, right, right..." Joe nodded sagely. "Secret admirer and all that. Don't worry, bro – I'll take these to the love of your life!"

Thomas quickly tried to set things straight. "Please don't repeat that to anybody else, because she is most certainly _not_ the-"

"You don't need to explain, bro," said Joe comfortingly, going so far as to place a hand on Thomas' shoulder in sympathy. "It's all about the love, right? And don't worry – we all know that we need to be super secret about this stuff. But I hafta go – I need to get these to your girl before Mister Last Lumberjack over there gets any funny ideas. You and your girl are meant to be, bro!"

And Joe the waiter rushed off before Thomas could say another word.

 _...What was_ that?

Still speechless, he watched as Chris finished speaking to Marie Claire and left just as Joe tapped Marie Claire on the shoulder and gave an over-the-top bow. He then presented her with the red roses and the second secret admirer note, and after another bow, he left, though not before shooting a suspicious look at an innocent Chris, whose back was turned to the entire scene as he headed for the dessert table for seconds.

Thomas shook his head, giving a slight chuckle.

He saw Addison lean over to ask Marie Claire about what she had just received, after which she opened the second secret admirer note so that they could read it together.

" _ **Red roses mean passionate love... but this bouquet can't even begin to represent how I feel about you! I hope you're having a lovely time tonight... another surprise awaits you! Love, Your Secret Admirer."**_

As Marie Claire smiled and inhaled the sweet scent of the red roses that had come with the note, Thomas' stomach growled. Thinking that maybe he should sample some of those desserts for himself, he returned to the dessert table, where he saw something he hadn't noticed before.

 _How many chocolate sculptures does a party need?_

In addition to the one in the lobby, there was another life-sized chocolate Aria near the dessert table... and next to it was a life-sized chocolate Lisa. On the table itself, there were a variety of delicious things to choose from, as well as chefs at the ready to serve Chocolate Liqueur Souffle, Flambeed Vanilla-Poached Pears, Sicilian Ricotta Cheesecake, depending on what guests preferred. He was about to request a serving of Sicilian Ricotta Cheesecake when something caught his eye.

 _Does that crème brulee..._ literally _have my name on it?!_

* * *

Thomas leaned back in contentment. He had first eaten chocolate-covered strawberries had looked like even they had dressed for the occasion, the chef having used white and dark chocolate to make them look like they were wearing little tuxedos. After that, he had moved on to a serving of Sicilian Ricotta Cheesecake, the rich ricotta blending perfectly with the lighter, sweeter flavors of the rest of the cake. And he had saved the best for last, spooning the letters of his name from his crème brulee in order, each spoonful a treat not to be missed.

As he looked around, he noticed that the hotel bar had fewer people than it had had when he had started to eat. Figuring that his break was over and it was time to go back to being a secret admirer, he decided to head for the hotel ballroom...

...which, as he found out when he got there, was even more lavishly decorated than the hotel lobby, with pink and red balloons, streamers, and candy hanging from the ceiling. The whole place had been converted into a Valentine's Day themed-nightclub, and there were pink spotlights directed at a rotating heart-shaped stage, which itself had flashing red and white lights. Next to the stage was a gigantic, pink, electric 'LOVE' sign for those who, if they had gotten this far, still didn't know what the party was all about.

 _Is that Marie Claire with her friends?_

He hadn't noticed at first glance – but it _was_ them. Marie Claire, Addison, and Lisa were dancing on the heart-shaped stage, with their arms in the air as they moved to the fast beat of the music all around them, and Ethan... was standing completely still.

 _I suppose he's not in the mood to dance._

He approached the DJ in the middle of the music station – the heart-shaped music station, because of _course_ it had to be heart-shaped in honor of the occasion – to ask him to give Marie Claire the next secret admirer note.

The music was so loud at the DJs's station that Thomas could barely make himself understood, but somehow he managed to say – and mime – that he wanted the DJ to give Marie Claire the note. The DJ nodded and put his finger to his lips, which Thomas assumed was a promise of secrecy, and he nodded his thanks before leaving the station in order to give his eardrums a reprieve.

 _I know this is a party, but does the music have to be so-_

But before Thomas could finish his thought, Crash came flying through the air on a trapeeze – Thomas hadn't even noticed that there had been trapeezes when he had looked up at the ceiling earlier – and executed a perfect flip that saw him land right next to Ethan, who was finally convinced to dance.

Despite his earlier reservations, he seemed to be enjoying himself as much as the others were, moving to the beat of the pounding music blaring from the speakers, and, a little later, when the fast song changed to something much slower, their whole group got off the stage... and he saw the DJ motion to Marie Claire and hand her the third secret admirer note.

" _ **Marie Claire, your smile is the tinsel to my town... your eyes are the jewels upon my crown... what's more, I adore your devoted dedication... be mine this Valentine's and fill my heart with elation. XOXO, Your Secret Admirer."**_

Thomas smiled. This was the most interesting note out of the four he had written. He had wanted to use Marie Claire's words against her, but it would have all fallen to pieces if she realized everything too early on. However, he needn't have worried – from Marie Claire's pleased reaction, it seemed that she had no suspicions about Thomas' involvement in this whole secret admirer business.

After a short conversation between all of them, the others seemed to decide to stay in the ballroom while Marie Claire and Aria headed off somewhere. As he watched, they disappeared around the corner, where a gold-plated sign indicated that the spa was in that direction.

Having absolutely no desire to follow two young women into a spa, Thomas wondered how he was going to get the fourth secret admirer note into Marie Claire's hands – and thought that perhaps John, the hotel concierge, could help.

It turned out that John was more than pleased to help, and listened carefully when Thomas instructed him that the envelope was to be placed in Marie Claire's hands just a few moments before midnight.

"Not to worry, sir," he replied obligingly. "We will make sure that this envelope is given to the intended recipient at precisely the right time."

"Thank you," said Thomas. As he turned to leave, he remembered something. "What are the activities and exhibitions that you mentioned earlier?"

* * *

 _There really were some interesting activities and exhibitions here tonight,_ thought Thomas as he walked up the stairs and opened the door to the rooftop, _but I need some air. Besides, I mentioned the rooftop in my last note._

Spotting a rooftop bar, he looked behind the counter, found a bottle of scotch and a glass, and carried them to a barstool – but when he tasted what he had procured, while it looked like scotch, it was most definitely _not_ scotch.

 _What is this? Some type of juice? It's not even alcoholic! What is it doing in this bottle?_

Deciding that going downstairs to find some real scotch wasn't worth it, he decided to stay seated.

Of all activities and exhibitions that evening, Thomas' favorite had probably been the photo exhibition of animals in love. There had been all kinds of creatures shown in the photographs. Not only that, but beside the cute photographs, there was also information about the contents of the photographs. Each stated where a specific picture had been taken, as well as what was taking place in the picture, so that the photo could be viewed in context – which meant that a great deal of thought had gone into the exhibition. The bird section was particularly interesting to Thomas, with him having visited a hummingbird exhibition recently, not to mention owning a pet bird himself.

 _But three hundred animal photos_ were _exhausting to view in one night..._

"Professor Hunt?"

"Marie Claire?" he exclaimed, startled. He had been so deep in his own thoughts that hearing her voice surprised him, even when he had technically been waiting for her – but then he cleared his throat. He didn't want her to have the satisfaction of seeing him caught off-guard. "I mean, Marie Claire," he said gruffly. "What are you doing up here?"

She looked at him in surprise. "Are you..."

"Am I what?" After all, she hadn't finished her sentence, so how could he confirm or deny one way or the other?

Her shoulders slumped. "Oh, um, nothing..."

That wasn't like her at all. Thomas was used to his student always being persistent, always pushing and trying, always wondering and pursuing. If she had things to say, she said them. If she had questions to ask, she asked them. This was the same young woman who had stormed into his office and practically demanded that he give her friend a stunt program – and at the time, she hadn't even been a Hollywood U student for three weeks.

But tonight, instead of continuing her question, she had gone quiet after only a few words. She looked to her left, and then to her right, as if by magic, a mysterious suitor would appear from the shadows... but no matter how hard she searched, she couldn't find who she was looking for.

After checking one last time over her shoulder, she continued, disappointed, "I was supposed to meet someone up here, but I guess he didn't show."

To that, Thomas replied, "How do you know?"

He was honestly surprised that Marie Claire was coming to that conclusion. After all, the secret admirer note had said to meet on the roof, and when she did come to the roof, there was only one person there. Logically, Thomas _had_ to be her secret admirer, simply due to the fact that there was nobody else there. In fact, her next question...

"You're the only person here... right?"

"Of course I am."

...as well as his response reinforced that point.

However, the way she _was_ reacting made sense as well – he supposed that because Thomas was her professor, it just hadn't occurred to her that he might have been the one who had sent the notes. He doubted that students thought very much about the faculty when class wasn't in session. In fact, when he had introduced Marianne to his class, hadn't Marie Claire been surprised when she found out that Thomas actually had friends? So their professors having lives outside of their lessons might be strange for students to think about.

"Are you here with anybody?"

 _...Or not. Why is she asking that?_

"I am not," Thomas replied, in a way that ought to make it clear to her that he was not inclined pursue that particular line of conversation.

"So you're not here with Professor Singh?"

Thomas almost did a double-take.

 _Priya? Why Priya?_

Then, realizing that he would be acting like Marie Claire if he left questions unspoken, he asked, "Why are you asking about Professor Singh?"

Shifting slightly where she stood, she replied, "Well, I... um... _heard..._ that you guys had a relationship a while back. And she came back from her sabbatical two days before Valentine's Day..."

She trailed off, but Thomas barely noticed as he thought about what Marie Claire had just said. Yes, he and Priya had been romantically involved – though he hadn't known that their past relationship was such common knowledge that even Marie Claire, who had only been a Hollywood U student for a month, knew that. Had somebody told her?

But that wasn't important. Thomas hadn't known the specifics of Priya's sabbatical, so he had no idea if her arrival date had been planned far in advance, or if it had been changed for some other reason – a reason like Valentine's Day; a reason that was getting more and more believable once he recalled that she had touched his cheek earlier that morning and asked him if he ever thought of what they could have been...

...but whatever his new suspicions were, he certainly wasn't going to share them with a _student._

"As I said, Marie Claire, I am alone." And to change the subject, he added, "Has your evening been similarly solitary?"

"What?" she blinked. "Oh. Um, well, sort of? I was with my friends for most of the time, but there was this other thing going on too..."

 _Oh, she's bringing it up._

"What other thing?"

"Well, I know you're going to think that this is silly, but... somebody's been sending me these romantic notes all night, and I have no idea who he is."

From the neutral tone of her voice, she was trying to downplay the whole affair; trying to make it seem like it wasn't anything of great significance – but from her shy, yet thrilled, expression, he could see that it had meant more to her than she wanted to let on.

Taking a seat next to Thomas on the barstool, Marie Claire continued quietly, "I guess it really _was_ silly. But the notes were... nice. I was so excited when I got the first one in the lobby, and since my friends had all _conveniently_ left me alone at that exact moment, I thought for sure it was one of them... but the notes kept coming, so I changed my mind..."

He could see why. After she had been alone in the lobby, Marie Claire, for the most part, had spent the evening surrounded by her friends – though he couldn't say for sure since she had been out of his sight for certain periods of time as well, like when he had been eating dessert, or when she and Aria had gone to the spa room.

Feeling the need to fill the silence, he said wryly, "And why were you so enthralled by these notes? Did they, like all secret admirer notes are apt to do, exaggerate your positive qualities to the point of hyperbole?"

After the words left his mouth, Thomas wished that he had put more thought into what he was saying. By wording his sentence that way, he implied that he had some knowledge of secret admirer notes, which was a sure way to give everything away... but Marie Claire didn't even notice, choosing instead to answer his question.

"Well," she laughed, "there _was_ this corny rhyme – _'Marie Claire, your smile is the tinsel to my town... your eyes are the jewels upon my crown...'_ \- so I don't think that being a poet is his day job..."

 _It certainly isn't._ The only reason Thomas had been able to write such a cheesy rhyme was because he had tried to imagine what sort of clichéd thing an actual secret admirer might write.

"...But," she continued, "he said other things... that I was smart, and confident, and dedicated... and you don't say that kind of thing about a stranger. So it really sounded like... like somebody who _**saw**_ me."

 _Oh._

"And when he asked me to meet him here on the rooftop, I thought tonight was the night we'd finally, you know, _**connect,**_ but I guess it wasn't meant to be..."

Thomas shifted a little in his seat. He knew he had wanted to embarrass her, but he hadn't expected her to think about the whole thing this deeply. Marie Claire had come to the rooftop expecting to meet a passionate man who recognized her best qualities for what they were – and instead, she found Thomas. Part of him now wished this whole thing had never happened, and while he couldn't turn back time, perhaps he could say something mildly uplifting, keeping with the spirit of the holiday.

"I'd hate to lead you to believe that I'm invested in your pathetic love life, but... surely you and this 'admirer' will get your chance to _**connect**_ eventually."

She perked up. "Really? You think so?"

 _...That may have been_ too _encouraging. Not to mention that I've raised her hopes about an admirer who is, in essence, fictional._

Thomas drained his glass of... _whatever_ he was drinking... and poured himself some more. Even though he wasn't drinking anything alcoholic, the motions at least made him feel like he was.

"You aren't the only one alone tonight, Marie Claire. Just because some dumb kid stood you up doesn't mean the world is ending or you don't have people who care about you. Stop feeling sorry for yourself."

Thomas was alone, too. What did it say about him that he had essentially spent the most romantic day of the year – or so people said – playing a trick on one of his students? He wondered why this development was _this_ disappointing for her when it seemed that she had been having a good time with her friends the whole evening – and she probably would have regardless of the existence of a secret admirer. She had spent Valentine's Day laughing and dancing with the people who cared about her, which was much more than what most people could claim.

Letting out a dissatisfied growl, Marie Claire snapped, "I'm not feeling sorry for myself. I'm trying to understand why he wouldn't meet me here. Or maybe..." she shook her head, as if trying to clear it, "...maybe I was just trying to open up to you for once. But forget it."

She started to edge off the barstool, but Thomas cleared his throat.

"You don't have to leave."

It was a strange thing to say, and even he himself didn't know why he said it.

Marie Claire hesitated, then took her seat again.

Valentine's Day, in Thomas' opinion, was a useless holiday. Why single out one specific day during which to love others? The idea that love was important for only one day of the year was nonsensical. Love didn't sprout of nowhere. You didn't just _decide_ to love somebody one day. Love grew from moments spent together; from shared interests; from confiding in each other and sharing problems and giving advice; from affection and respect.

Thomas knew. Thomas had been in love.

He knew what love was, and what it felt like to have it, to feel it. He was all by himself now, and for the most part, he was very content with where he was in life. But there were moments when he wondered how different life would have been if he had showed up a a certain bus stop many years ago.

But he had made his choice. It was the right choice.

It _had_ to be.

"You know," he heard Marie Claire's voice break the brooding silence between them, "you're not alone."

Thomas looked up from his drink.

"What?"

 _What is she talking about now?_

"You said you're alone tonight, but that's not true. I'm here."

Thomas blinked.

 _Well,_ obviously _you're here. I'm talking to you right now, aren't I?_

"Yes, I suppose you are."

Marie Claire shook her head. "And I bet that if you weren't so... so surly, all the time, you could've spent tonight with someone special. There are people out there who would care about you, if you just let them."

 _That... is an oddly touching thing to say. What can be said after hearing something like that?_

"Whatever," she huffed, sliding off the barstool. "Happy Valentine's Day, Professor Hunt."

Thomas replied, "...Happy Valentine's Day, Marie Claire."

And he meant it, too.

"You know what?" commented Marie Claire, "I think I _did_ have a happy Valentine's Day. Even if I didn't meet him, my secret admirer made tonight a lot of fun. And I'll always have these notes to remember him by." Taking an envelope out of a pocket Thomas hadn't noticed her scarlet dress had had, she read out loud from the third note. "At least I know that I'm the _'tinsel to somebody's town.'_ "

 _Well, at least she's looking on the bright side._

She smiled at the note and started to fold it up again – when something suddenly made her jolt, her eyes narrowing as she stared at the words in front of her.

"Why does that sound so familiar?" she murmured. "Tinsel... town... jewels... crown..."

* * *

Then her eyes widened – before looking at Thomas _very_ suspiciously.

" _Jewels upon my crown..."_

She looked at the note quickly again, and then changed the direction of her gaze to some point of time only she could see.

" _Your thoughts of rage are the jewels upon my crown, Tommy Boy..."_ she quoted softly, before exclaiming, "I said that to you at The Tommies!"

 _She's figured it out._

"I remember," Thomas huffed.

"I kissed you on the cheek... in front of everybody... and then you said you would get me back for that... and then I said to do your worst... that your thoughts of rage were _the jewels upon my crown!_ "

After that, she was unable to speak, her mouth too busy gaping at him like... well, like she had done only the day before, when he had vouched for her at her hearing.

Thomas mentally gave himself a pat on the back. It took some measure of skill to shock a person so completely two days in a row.

Shaking her head in amusement, Marie Claire said, "I really, _really_ should be mad... but I _did_ say to do your worst. You, Professor Hunt, are an _evil_ genius."

"Excuse me?" he said, pretending to be affronted.

She held out the third secret admirer note in emphasis. "Taking my words and using them against me like that... and all because of a kiss on the cheek?"

"It is entirely your fault for embarrassing me like that."

"Oh?" Suddenly looking repentant, she said, "I'm really sorry that I-" before stopping – and starting to smile. "You were _embarrassed_ because of a tiny little kiss?"

 _Uh-oh._ Realizing his mistake, he tried to deny it. "I, uh- no, I wasn't-"

"You..." She looked closely at his face – so closely that Thomas could feel himself warming up the slightest bit because of the intense inspection. "You _were!_ " she crowed in triumph, before collapsing into giggles. "You really _are_ a big, fluffy teddy bear!" she managed to get out because giggling once more.

Thomas could have shouted at Marie Claire, or scolded her, or even insulted her...

...but instead, he sighed.

 _Why,_ **why** _do women seem determined to turn me into a teddy bear?!_

* * *

Once she had gotten over her _ill-gotten_ hilarity, because that was exactly what it was, Marie Claire asked him how he had done it, and he told her the whole story, from when he had first spoken to John the hotel concierge until he went up to the roof.

"That waiter, Joe, sounds hilarious!" she laughed. "And they really have a points system?"

Thomas nodded. "According to what he told me, notes and letters are one point; single flowers are three points; small gifts are five points; floral bouquets are ten points; and jewelry is twenty points."

"And he almost won last year?"

"The way Joe told the story, it seemed that he had been delivering notes and bouquets all night – until a man decided to propose to his girlfriend by having one of Joe's colleagues put an engagement ring in her glass of sparkling water. That was the only thing the waiter delivered, and he delivered it only a few minutes before midnight, but he won – because engagement rings are worth one hundred points."

He had felt sorry for Joe when he heard that.

"Oh, poor Joe!" moaned Marie Claire. "That guy really _should_ have waited to propose!" She wrinkled her nose. "And the old ring-inside-a-glass proposal? In public? That's way too cliché! Private proposals are definitely the way to go!"

He laughed himself. "Just don't tell Joe that."

After his story, Marie Claire asked about the notes themselves.

"Sooo... you said such _lovely_ things in your secret admirer notes. Did they come from the _heart?_ " she asked teasingly.

Thomas let out a loud exhale. "Those notes were very difficult to write. Internet websites suggested describing the recipient, but I couldn't even remember what color your eyes were. Luckily, I was able to consult other-"

"What?!" she exclaimed, sounding distinctly unhappy. "How could you not remember the color of my eyes?! I'm at school, like, everyday!"

"You're my student, Marie Claire," he said, giving a small shrug. "I notice things like your storyboarding and your acting skills - I don't pay attention to things like your _eye color._ "

She pouted, crossing her arms petulantly...

...but that didn't last long before her lips formed a smile. "It's too bad that I didn't have a real secret admirer after all, though... it would have been nice to be noticed."

 _She doesn't think she's noticed?!_

"...Marie Claire..." he said slowly. "Besides the many other things you've done, you've won the New Voice award at the Sundance Festival _and_ you've crashed a tank. Frankly, I wouldn't be surprised if you were one of the most noticed students in Hollywood U – though perhaps 'notorious' would be a better term..."

"You didn't even notice the color of my eyes," she pointed out. "Besides..." she said a little sadly. "...I mean noticed in a _romantic_ way – and not for, y'know, crashing tanks and stuff. It would have been nice to do traditional Valentine's Day things tonight..."

As she gave a small sigh and stared off into space, Thomas shifted guiltily in his seat. If he was perfectly honest with himself, he was partially at fault here – he had distracted her with the secret admirer notes when she should have been focusing on her friends. Not to mention that if she had talked to anybody and mentioned the notes, Marie Claire's _genuine_ suitors might have been discouraged by the competition.

It wasn't something he would normally do, but since he was partially at fault, he ought to make some sort of gesture in recompense, for continued civility in their future interactions, if nothing else – although, really, his vouching for her at her hearing would have probably already taken care of that.

But that wasn't why he vouched for her – he had done that because it was the right thing to do. And something in him whispered that this is was similar – that it was the right thing to do.

And so, before he fully knew what he was going, he slowly slid off his barstool and held his right hand out to her.

She blinked. "What are you doing?"

"Isn't dancing a traditional thing to do on Valentine's Day?"

As his student continued to stare at him in bewilderment, Thomas avoided her eyes, feeling somewhat awkward continuing to stand in front of her like a fool with his hand held out. It was possible that she wasn't in the mood to dance with the person who had gotten her in her current unhappy mood to begin with, and that was just fine with him. He started to let his hand fall to his side...

...when he felt her fingers close around his – and when he looked at her, she saw an impossibly fond expression on her face.

Softly, she said, "It is."

And that was all that needed to be said.

* * *

Thomas had not thought that he would be dancing at the end of the evening. Truthfully, his plans had become slightly muddled as the night progressed – what was supposed to be a trick played on Marie Claire had turned into a pleasant conversation with her on an empty rooftop.

There was no music, but there hadn't been music the last time he had danced with Marie Claire either – only the melody of the raindrops around them as they fell from heavy clouds. His student had been caught in the rain during the Fairy Kingdom Formal, and seeing surprising vulnerability in somebody who normally seemed so confident had made him, for some reason, think that a dance was the best thing he could offer her.

... _Come to think of it, isn't that also_ exactly _what happened tonight?_

He wondered if Priya was right – _was_ he going soft? This time last year, he would have never considered asking a student to dance to make her feel better, but it had already happened twice this semester – and with the same student as well.

In his defense, they were only here on this rooftop in the first place because of a trick he played on her. And speaking of that trick...

 _I may as well take note of the color of her eyes,_ he thought to himself, _to make sure nothing like this ever happens again._

He turned his gaze from a faraway star to his dancing partner, only to find that she hadn't been looking at him, either – she seemed to be lost in thought as she absently looked over his shoulder.

Paying attention to her now, he confirmed what he had always known – Marie Claire was an attractive young woman. She had long, pink hair and – _brown_ eyes.

 _I should have just guessed. Most people in the world have brown eyes!_

As if feeling his inspection of her physical appearance, Marie Claire turned her head slightly to meet his eyes. A gentle look settled over her features...

...and she _changed._

Her lips, curved up into a gentle smile, the gesture making her lightly-applied lip gloss shimmer – lip gloss that was pink like her hair, which he felt flutter teasingly against his left hand, which rested lightly on her shoulder. He was suddenly aware of how delicate her fingers felt, entwined in his right hand, and how her clear complexion seemed to have the same softness.

But it was her eyes that captured his attention – rich, brown eyes the color of particular espresso coffee beans that he remembered. Not only that, but the way they held his gaze, soft and glowing, so unnervingly familiar, like an faraway echo...

...where had Thomas seen that look before?

And as he guided her in the steps of their silent dance, her scarlet dress rustling slightly as they moved in synchronized motion, the light shone on Marie Claire _just so_ and Thomas knew why the look in her eyes had seemed so familiar.

 _Priya. Marianne._

 _Yvonne._

With a startling clarity, Thomas realized that Marie Claire had feelings for him.

His feet came to a complete halt.

Marie Claire gave a yelp, but manged to catch herself before she fell. "Why did you stop?"

 _She... has feelings for me._

 _Marie Claire has feelings for me._

He could be wrong. He could be reading into things, into expressions; he could be thinking irrational thoughts because of the manufactured romance that the fourteenth of February seemed to bring to everybody unfortunate enough to be caught in its trap.

So he could be wrong.

He really hoped he was wrong.

 _I can't stay here. Why did we dance? She's a student!_

"Hello?"

 _I don't know for sure. I could just be reading into things. I need to disprove this._

Thomas resumed their dance, acting as if nothing happened. Seeming to just go along with it, Marie Claire gave a small shrug before once again moving in sync with her dance partner.

 _I know how I can find out._

"While it is unfortunate that your secret admirer tonight was fictional," he said conversationally, "this _does_ mean that you are free to pursue a relationship with one of your friends, if you so choose."

Marie Claire laughed as they continued to dance. "Who? Ethan? He's like a brother to me!"

 _Hmm... then what about the crazy one?_

"How about your friend Crash? The one who seems to be the only one on campus able to match your-"

" _-Hey!_ " she protested. "You're about to say something mean, aren't you?!"

"-your penchant for getting into unpredictable situations," Thomas finished smoothly, as his feet deftly stayed closed to hers without stepping on her toes.

Blinking, she replied, "Crash is like a little brother to me. A little brother who likes motorcycles and explosions a little too much... especially if they come together!"

Two of his suggestions down, Thomas tried to think. Her lack of interest in the two people they discussed didn't necessarily mean that she had feelings for him. But he would feel better if he could confirm any sort of romantic interest on her part in anybody else, for his own peace of mind.

Then he remembered Joe the waiter.

"How about Chris Winters? You were speaking to him at dinner, weren't you?"

She smiled mischievously. "Couldn't take your eyes off me, hmm?"

 _This was_ not _where I wanted this conversation to go._

"Purely for the purpose of secret admirer impersonation."

"Oh," she said, giving a small frown. Then she smiled again. "Well, Chris and I went out once..."

Thomas knew that, because he had unwillingly overheard them talking about their date the night of Lisa's debut.

 _They really should have been more discreet._

"...and he's a great guy, and really sweet, but... he's not..." She gave an awkward laugh, "...Not my type, I guess?"

He raised his eyebrow at her. "Not your type? He's an actor and model. Is there somebody else?"

Marie Claire replied jokingly, "Well, what if that's not enough for me? What if I want him to direct movies, too?"

She had said that in jest, but Thomas – who had been an actor, model, _and_ director – was _not_ the slightest bit reassured.

 _I'm out of ideas. What can I say now?_

Fortunately, Marie Claire did not have a similar dilemma. "And..." she continued, "...maybe... maybe there _is_ somebody else."

Internally, Thomas breathed the biggest sigh of relief he could remember.

 _Good._

"What is he like?" Thomas inquired...

...but his innocent question only seemed to make her slump her shoulders.

"It doesn't matter," Marie Claire said sadly.

"...If you say so," he said mildly.

Thomas was content to leave it there. While he still didn't know who the person in question was, he knew enough to know that he existed, which meant that his hasty conclusion earlier had thankfully been proven wrong.

Feeling like he should change the subject, he said, "Marie Claire, this impromptu dance was meant to lift your spirits, but judging from your expression, it seems to have had the opposite effect."

"What? Marie Claire blurted, surprised. Then she laughed. "Oh, don't think that! This is the best dance I've had all night!"

Having seen what she had been up to earlier that evening, Thomas doubted that.

"Even better than when you were dancing to songs about love, next to a gigantic, pink, electric sign that spells out 'LOVE?'"

After giggling helplessly for a few moments, she asked, "How did you know about that? Did you talk to Addison?"

"What?"

"Oh, nothing! And to answer your question..." she continued with a sincere smile, "this is even better than that."

As they continued to dance, fingers still entwined, Marie Claire joked, "You're a pretty good dancer. I should recommend you to all my friends."

"And give away my secret?" he said with a laugh. "Marie Claire, yesterday you were ready to swear fealty to me. You would never betray me."

A misstep almost made her trip, but she righted herself and said, "By the way, do you think Joe got any more delivery requests after the flowers you gave me?"

"Who knows?" Thomas said with a shrug. "Perhaps people saw that and it gave them the impression that he was capable. Or maybe he was asked regardless."

"Unless he was needed in the kitchen again or something."

He replied, "That's possible, too. Those desserts didn't make themselves – or, at least, they didn't travel from the kitchen to the hotel bar by themselves. Not to mention those chocolate statues – which were a complete waste of perfectly good chocolate."

"Hey!" she said in mock outrage. "Those are my friends you're talking about! Uh... well, the life-sized, chocolate versions friends, anyway. But I do hope that Joe won."

"I hope so too – it would be a cruel twist of fate if another colleague of his was asked to deliver an engagement ring a few minutes before midnight _this_ year, too."

"That's true!" she gave a slight laugh, before she slowed down their dance until it came to a complete stop. As they parted, Marie Claire said, "Speaking of my friends, I should probably go see where they are. Thank you for the dance."

"You are welcome for this dance _that never happened._ "

Another slight laugh.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Professor Hunt."

"...Happy Valentine's Day, Marie Claire."

And after an exaggerated curtsy and a wave, his student left the rooftop.

* * *

Sitting back on his barstool at the rooftop bar, Thomas shook his head. How had _that_ happened? He had planned to embarrass Marie Claire – and instead they had shared a dance on Valentine's Day. That, coupled with the fact that he had suspicions about her feelings, made Thomas very uncomfortable.

On one hand, she said that there was somebody she had feelings for. Considering that Marie Claire was, at this point, quite well-connected for a student, she had any number of friends and acquaintances – and, therefore, any number of potential romantic interests.

On the other hand – in his interactions with her, as well as the unfortunate times that he had seen her around when he had absolutely no intention of doing so – he had never seen her with anybody... except with Chris, and she had already dismissed him as a potential partner. As for Thomas...

He was the one Marie Claire had asked for a dance at the Fairy Kingdom Formal – despite, or perhaps because, of that ludicrous story about finding true love at the Fairy Kingdom Formal, which was obviously complete nonsense.

He was the one she chose to kiss on the cheek during the Thomas Hunt Awards, instead of shaking his hand like a normal person would.

He was the one she had spent time with tonight, on Valentine's Day – though that was admittedly Thomas' fault. But she had made that joke about directing...

Frustrated about the whole situation, Thomas tapped the counter in front of him impatiently. He wanted this _resolved._ And he thought it had been, but doubts kept creeping up and while he couldn't say for sure that she had those feelings... he also couldn't _deny_ for sure that she had those feelings.

A silly theory. There was too little proof to confirm, too much to deny. What was to be done?

 _Nothing,_ he thought.

Deciding that he needed something alcoholic to drink, he walked to the bartender's side of the rooftop bar. After kneeling to check the lower cabinets, he found that there were no bottles – but there _was_ a cupboard door with a latch.

When he opened it, he was glad to see a bottle that looked alcoholic, though he would have to taste its contents to make sure. He moved his right hand to close the cupboard door...

...only to find out that his cufflink had caught onto the latch.

 _I finally find something alcoholic and this happens?!_

He tried tugging his sleeve gently to see if that would help, but the results informed him that, no, his cufflink was _not_ going to give up _that_ easily.

Using his fingers to feel the latch, he discerned that needle-thin metal of the inner part of his cufflink – how was that even _possible?_ \- had inadvertently connected with a tiny hole in the latch – and was stuck.

As he pondered what to do, he heard the rooftop door open. After a pause, a familiar voice said, "Oh, he must have left."

Marie Claire had returned to the rooftop.

Which only served to make Thomas nervous. Why had she come back? Had she planned on saying anything, or... _confessing_ anything, keeping in line with the spirit of Valentine's Day? Had he somehow misled her about his own feelings when he had asked her to dance? Did she think that his offer to dance was meant romantically?

Valentine's Day was turning out to be much more stressful than Thomas had expected.

 _And I'm stuck!_

Thomas really, _really_ wanted to be _un_ stuck, to be freed from the indignity of being held captive by a cupboard latch – but the possible alternative, which was an awkward conversation with a deluded, lovestruck student who might take their second meeting on the rooftop as proof that they were 'meant to be' – was much worse.

 _...Not that that's guaranteed. When did I become so paranoid?_

 _But... better safe than sorry, I suppose._

Besides, considering all the times he had accidentally stumbled across Marie Claire – starting with her first meeting with Holly while he had been jogging near the harbor – it seemed almost fair that, this time, she was the one to unintentionally arrive where Thomas was, even if she had no idea that he was there.

Thinking that there was nothing more to be done, he returned his attention to his predicament.

Pulling himself free would work, but it would ruin his suit. His _Armani_ suit. His _very expensive_ Armani suit. Or if it didn't ruin his suit, it would at least damage his sleeve, and even if he took it to the original shop to have it repaired, who knew if they would be able to make it look like new?

 _Undoing the cufflink might work._

Moving his left hand so that it was positioned under his right wrist, he reached in with his index finger and thumb to feel the inner part of the cufflink. After a few twists, his right arm was free – but part of his cufflink was still stuck onto the latch.

And he wasn't going to leave it behind, either. Cufflinks weren't as expensive as suits – but they weren't _cheap,_ either!

 _Maybe I can-_

But before he could finish his thought, he heard the rooftop door open again.

"Marie Claire! There you are!"

"Ethan?"

And then there were two. Two people who had to leave the roof before Thomas did, so that he could leave unnoticed. He might have had a chance to sneak out if Marie Claire had been the only one on the roof with him, but with the two friends together up here, more people might follow – and so they might be looking at the rooftop door every now and then, expecting to see more people arrive.

"Is that how you greet your favorite agent? Your favorite agent, who's been chatting up producers and executives for you all night, all for a measly sixteen percent?"

"Fifteen!"

They both laughed.

 _It must be a familiar joke,_ thought Thomas.

"You looked pretty happy the last time I saw downstairs. Why'd you turn your smile upside-down? It's really supposed to be the other way around, you know. Is it about your secret admirer?"

He heard Marie Claire pause... and then give a loud sigh.

"Yeah. I really wish I could have spent more time with him."

Thomas' eyes widened. If he thought that being caught captive by a latch – though that wasn't strictly true anymore – was embarrassing, the idea of another student finding out about his secret admirer trick was downright _mortifying._

But Marie Claire had said that she wouldn't tell. Thomas could trust her, right?

"Who was it? We had all kinds of ideas... but whoever it was, at least it wasn't Brian Ratzik, right?"

 _Brian Ratzik? Ethan has a twisted mind!_

"Well... I wasn't expecting to see him up here, especially since he didn't want to help me with my hearing. But he apologized in his own way. Over and _over_ again. Did you know that Brian is a _very_ good kisser?"

Behind the rooftop bar, Thomas covered his mouth with a fist as he tried not to burst out laughing.

"Ethan, are you okay?"

He couldn't blame Ethan for being speechless. In his place, Thomas would have been gobsmacked, too.

"Oh, are you waiting for details? It was _so_ romantic... as soon as I opened the door, he just _pounced_ and took me in his arms. It was _so_ hot, the way he-"

"La, la, la!" Ethan's voice, which had always sounded measured and professional whenever Thomas spoke to me, was now slightly hysterical. "I can't hear you! La, la, la!"

Laughing, Marie Claire said, "Relax, relax, I was just joking! Besides, _you_ started it!"

"I didn't expect you to play along!" Ethan said, gasping for air. "Don't play tricks on your poor agent like that!"

"Sorry," she apologized, yet she still sounded entirely amused.

"So... what was your secret admirer like?"

 _She's not going to tell him, is she?_

"Fictional," grumbled Marie Claire. "No admirers on the rooftop for me after all."

"That's too bad... but I get it now. My whole night would be ruined too if somebody played a mean trick on me like that."

Shifting guiltily in his hiding place, Thomas thought, _Well rub it in, why don't you?_

"Huh? Oh, no... I had a _great_ night! The yummy desserts, the massage at the spa, the dancing..."

"I guess you and Addison are best friends for a reason! Nothing like dancing to songs about love, next to a gigantic, pink, electric sign that spells out 'LOVE,' am I right?"

And for reasons Ethan could never know, Marie Claire – and Thomas – found his comment to be quite amusing.

 _So_ that's _why she laughed when I said that!_

"But," said Ethan in concern, "if you had a great night, why did you look like that when I arrived?"

"Like what?"

"Like... like you hated yourself more than anything in the world. Honestly, that was why I believed all that stuff you said about Brian Ratzik at first."

He paused.

"Marie Claire... are you having second thoughts about the Silver Circle?"

Thomas' eyes widened. They had made their move. And if they were discussing it right now, it must have been fairly recently – but because they were cautious, they wouldn't have revealed themselves completely to a student on academic probation. So they must have done so after Marie Claire's hearing.

Had she discovered what they were like? It would have been quite perceptive of her to be wary of them so early. But it wasn't _that_ early – after all, Marie Claire had already known that she had a benefactor when they had supplied the one million dollars for Clash at Sunset.

Then _was_ she approached after her hearing? Was she given a choice to refuse them, or was she simply threatened with consequences to her career? He didn't want his student to be trapped, like he knew she would be if she joined. Was she _already_ trapped?

"I'm not having second thoughts about the Silver Circle. I'm having second thoughts about what I did to Professor Hunt."

And the aforementioned Professor Hunt, who was on the rooftop right there with them...

...had absolutely no idea what to think.

* * *

But Ethan did – in fact, he laughed.

"You mean that trophy thing? Don't worry about that! They put it back in his office, like, two hours after you stole it this morning! He's never going to find out!"

 _ **Trophy. Stole.**_

"I'm not worried about that! I'm mad that they gave me such – such a _stupid_ initiation task!"

 _ **Initiation task.**_

"I know it wasn't... well, it wasn't _cool..._ but like I told you, they devised that loyalty test _specifically_ for you. The Circle felt that stealing from Hunt was the ultimate risk you could _possibly_ take – and when you took it, you showed that you were committed to our organization."

 _ **Loyalty test.**_

"Are they always like this? Sneaking around behind people's backs – is _this_ the sort of thing they make their members do?"

"They're – I mean, _we're_ – a secret organization for a reason. Sometimes things are... _grey,_ but the benefits outweigh the disadvantages, which makes everything worth it."

 _ **Worth it.**_

"...I hope you're right," she said at last.

Another long pause.

"He's not going to find out, Marie Claire. And even if he _did..._ I hate to say it, but he defended you at your hearing. He'd _never_ suspect you."

 _ **Defended. Hearing.**_

"He did. I owe him one, whether he admits it or not. He saved my life, and this is the way I pay him back."

"That's a little dramatic, isn't-"

"Ethan, look me in the eye and tell me that your career isn't your _entire_ life."

 _ **Owe. Life.**_

Another long pause.

"You saved his life, too, you know. Or at least, you tried."

"What do you mean?"

"The zombies. I was the one who held you back."

"That doesn't-"

But before Marie Claire could finish, the rooftop door opened with a bang.

" _There_ you guys are!" It was Addison. "I've been looking _everywhere_ for you!"

"What's up, Addison?" asked Ethan.

"Lisa's protecting the last chocolate Aria so we can eat it together!"

"Not the chocolate Lisa?" inquired Marie Claire. "Or is that already gone?"

"I don't know, but we can find out... come on! She might start eating without us!"

Laughing amongst themselves, the three of them left the rooftop, the door blocking out the sounds of their lighthearted merriment as it closed behind them.

 _ **Held back.**_

* * *

 ** _alone once more_**

 ** _finally able to stand like a man... instead of crouching in darkness, trapped like a rat_**

 ** _standing still (as stone), but thoughts – where are the thoughts_**

 ** _blur, all a blur, dizzying_**

 ** _was that real?_**

 ** _too many-_**

 ** _he stops (even though he is already still, like an unbeating heart) and shakes his head-_**

 ** _-and then he shakes it again, because, too many-_**

 ** _a deep breath (need air), and he is able to think._**

She _had_ been recruited. That was unfortunate, but expected. She had accomplished too much in her thirty-two days as a student to be ignored for much longer.

In fact, they had noticed her earlier on – they had started small, by giving her five hundred dollars, but later on, they had given her a million dollars. They had entrusted to her the responsibility of being the main producer of Clash at Sunset.

Taking a financial gamble of that sort would have been no problem for them.

Having been around since the invention of the cinema - Thomas knew that because they had made sure to inform him of that fact during their shoddy recruitment speech – they had wealthy investors, superstar celebrities, top-notch producers, and cutthroat agents at their disposal – and the resources people like those could muster were substantial.

They, no doubt, must have been watching her closely as she completed her projects – too talented to ignore; but, with her probationary status, too risky to invite until everything been resolved.

Stepping in right after her hearing was exactly the sort of thing he would have expected them to do – no sense in recruiting somebody who was in such a precarious position, after all.

Giving her an initiation task also sounded like something they would do.

It wasn't enough to flaunt their resources in front of her face – they had to make _her_ want _them;_ they had to make her feel that _she_ had to prove _herself_ to them.

Never mind that she had proven herself, over and over, for thirty-one days by the time of her hearing. She had _already_ proven herself. But not to them. Or if she had, they hid their true reactions and told her to complete an initiation task instead...

...and they had chosen to have her steal Thomas' Audrey Award for Best Director.

From a distant standpoint, he could see why they chose that initiation task. That was the last award he had received before they tried to recruit him. His Audrey Award was the award that had made them take that step to finally approach Thomas – and that was the same award that had made Thomas able to take his own steps; take himself far away from their influence – even if it had been at a very great cost.

In a way, it was almost poetic.

And after her hearing, receiving an invitation to join an influential, powerful organization – the pure thrill of victory and sanctuary, followed by a second, tantalizing thrill of being part of such an exclusive, well-connected group... it was hardly her fault. How could she have resisted?

Nodding to himself, Thomas took one step, and then another, and then many more to the rooftop door. This night had been far more eventful that he had expected, and now that his thoughts were all sorted out, all he wanted to do was go home...

* * *

...though even after he arrived home, everything he had heard was still on his mind.

They had unlimited resources at their disposal. Any sort of help – financial help, casting help, negotiation help – was hers for the taking if she joined them. And it wasn't a question of 'if' – after all, she had _already_ joined them.

It was a rational decision, and considering that this was the student who invented the smostril, he ought to be relieved that she had shown a measure of realism by realizing that joining them could benefit her.

However, she _must_ know that in a few years, it would be _her_ turn to help new members; _her_ turn to give free favors; _her_ turn to find recruits and give _them_ initiation tasks, much like how _her_ own initiation task had been to steal from Thomas.

After being responsible for a crashed tank – and a trashed hotel room – sneaking in to take that trophy was positively tame, for her. And it had been nothing personal. She would have done the same thing to Priya or Hiromitsu if she had been told to do so. She would have done the same to _any_ other professor, risky as it was – she must not have thought things through, still feeling the rush from surviving her hearing.

 _ **standing tall**_

 _ **unproductive thoughts**_

No use thinking about them. Why still think about them? It had been a long day, and resting was preferable to thinking about it all over and over again – he was already moving slowly and sluggishly as he walked from his living room to his bedroom. For his peace of mind, he should go to bed and rest.

After unbuttoning his suit, he approached his desk and held back his left sleeve to untwist the back portion of the cufflink located there.

 _ **Held back.**_

Her agent friend had said that as well – but what had he meant? Why reference his lesson about fear from weeks past? He had said that she had saved Thomas' life, or, at least, that she had tried. Why had he mentioned that?

Thomas thought back to his Fear 101 lesson. He had hired actors to pretend to be zombies, and they had swarmed them outside the mansion Thomas had chosen, forcing them inside – along with Thomas himself – and trapping them there. And even though he and his students had barricaded the door and windows, their precautions hadn't been enough. As his students got taken, he himself had pretended to be trapped underneath what had actually been a very light bookcase...

...and she had grabbed a pen from the floor and looked at the zombies like...

Thomas stopped in mid-twist.

 _She didn't want to leave me._

 _Her friend pulled her back... and she cried out my name._

 _And when I told them all to run, to keep themselves safe, she had looked at me..._

 _...almost as if she had been begging me to let her stay._

When she had held that pen, counting those zombies like it didn't matter that there were over twenty of _them_ and only one of _her_ – she had held that pen like an assassin's dagger, springing like a savage animal to-

 _To save me._

Witty remarks and amused glances; innocent kisses on the cheek; dances where they confided in each other; wanting to risk herself to save him...

...sounding distinctly unhappy when he had said that he couldn't even remember the color of her eyes – the eyes that had _changed_ when she had turned to look at him during the dance on the rooftop, soft and glowing...

Thomas had loved before.

Thomas had also _been_ loved before. He knew what it looked like.

And with little moments and significant memories and countless minuscule interactions swirling in his mind, tiny pieces of evidence fitting together like an incomplete jigsaw puzzle – Thomas started to feel black dread creeping into his veins as he realized that his silly theory about her having feelings for him...

...might not be so silly a theory after all.

It was a complication. A _thoroughly unwelcome_ complication. She was his student, and she was supposed to listen to him and learn from him, and not – _anything_ more than that. And likewise, as her professor, he was supposed to teach her and guide her and help her...

...and he _had._

 _ **standing tall**_

 _ **unproductive thoughts**_

But _valid._ He _had_ helped her.

She had asked her agent friend to look her in the eye and tell her that his career wasn't his entire life – and she had said that because to her, her career _was_ her entire life.

He had helped her when all hope was lost and death was literally coming for her.

Even with the option of including an action star in her music video, she instead chose to stay loyal to her new scriptwriter friend – a person she had only known for a few days.

Thomas had known her for _**far longer**_ than just a few days.

Suddenly, he remembered something. He sat down quickly and opened his journal to what he had written only the night before.

 ** _"In addition to giving evidence in favor of her continued enrollment, I said in her hearing that Marie Claire is a person of character. Afterwards, she told me that she would do her best to be worthy of what I said at her hearing. Despite her talent, she clearly has some problems with understanding basic concepts, because I never would have said all those things if I didn't believe in her."_**

And the laughter that burst out of Thomas upon reading that seemed like it would never stop – the sharp, hollow laughter that kept on coming because he had been _**so utterly mistaken**_ and it was _**funny**_ because Thomas was rarely mistaken...

...and even _**funnier**_ because _**she hadn't asked for his help,**_ because the decision to speak up in her defense had entirely come from somewhere inside of him...

...and _**even funnier**_ because when she had told him that she would do her best to be worthy of what he had said at her hearing, Thomas had _**believed**_ her.

Believed _**in**_ her.

Too much laughter. _**Long, sharp, hollow laughter**_ that hurt his... his stomach, because it was his _stomach_ that was hurt, it was his _stomach_ that felt a vicious grip all around, crushing it like a vice...

 _ **standing tall**_

 _ **unproductive thoughts**_

...but even when he stopped laughing, even when the too-long laughter had ebbed away, _**he still felt it,**_ inside of his whole self; his eyes kept looking for reasons, his lungs kept having to take deep breaths to cool what was _**raging inside...**_

 _ **dagger, knife, practice makes perfect**_

 _ **don't listen to echoes (echoes don't have hearts that beat)**_

 _ **reciprocate**_

Thomas' searching eyes landed on an envelope, and, in a rush of inspiration, he snatched it from his desk. He opened the envelope in his hands, taking out the ticket he knew would be inside. Holding it up to the window, Thomas read out loud what was written.

"The 5th Annual Los Angeles Charity Masquerade."

Slowly, he smiled.

 _ **reciprocate**_

 _ **reciprocate**_

* * *

(End of Chapter Forty-Two.) (27/05/17, 12:02 AM Hollywood time.)

* * *

 **00\. My personal comments:**

Important author's note: This chapter, Chapter Forty-Two ("The Chapter I Have Been Waiting For"), marks the conclusion of this fanfic's second character arc. After a short break of five weeks, the next chapter, Chapter Forty-Four, will be posted on July 01, 2017, Saturday.

AUTHOR'S NOTE (02/07/17): Hello, everybody! As you have seen, I did not post a new chapter yesterday :(

Lately, I have been feeling very insecure about my writing. (I... won't bore you with the details...) And after I started to get past my insecurity (or at least pretend it didn't exist...), I was hoping I could still update "Not Your Typical Meet-Cute" on time... but then I realized that I didn't want to start the third character arc with an uninspired, defeated attitude. I've written through a lack of inspiration before, but with the latest chapter being The Chapter I Have Been Waiting For, it's a different thing altogether. So now, there's a new update date.

The next chapter, Chapter Forty-Three, will be posted on July 15, 2017, Saturday... seven weeks after Chapter Forty-Two was posted.

Lastly, I am very, very sorry for missing a promised update day. I was really hoping to have a perfect record when it came to keeping my update promises, but now... well, I'm pretty disappointed in myself... :( I'm very sorry, everybody :(

* * *

 **02\. A tiny request:**

Thank you for reading my fanfic! :D If you've read this far, I hope you'll consider taking an extra minute to leave a review for Chapter Forty-Two ("The Chapter I Have Been Waiting For")? :D Reviews really mean a lot to me as a fanfiction writer because I get to hear your thoughts on something I worked really hard on ^_^ Even if it's the year 2075 or something, I would love to hear your thoughts on this chapter! :D

* * *

 **03\. Two interesting HWU things:**

One, the HWU online television series! :D Did you know that a fellow HWU fan, Zoe (her username on Tumblr is "dizzyclueless"), is diligently working on HWU: The Series? It's a fan-made online television series based on Thomas Hunt and other characters from Hollywood U! ^_^ (At the moment, I'm just a very enthusiastic supporter... but I would LOVE to be involved in HWU: The Series someday! :D) You can find out more about this AMAZING television project on Tumblr (their official Tumblr blog is "hwutheseries"). I just LOVE how Pixelberry and Hollywood U have inspired SO many of us fans! ^_^

And two, my second HWU fanfic! :D If you're interested in reading Marie Claire's perspective of this chapter (Chapter Forty-Two), then I encourage you to read "NYTMC 2: Marie Claire's Interlude" ^_^ Here's the summary: _"(Part two of the NYTMC series.) (Midquel.) How did Marie Claire Hart fall in love with her most dashing, yet most cantankerous, professor? A retelling of my MC/Hunt fanfic "NYTMC 1: Not Your Typical Meet-Cute" from Marie Claire's perspective, in 100-word drabbles."_


	43. Omake 02

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Hollywood U. This amazing game belongs to Pixelberry! :)

* * *

Chapter Forty-Three: Omake 02

* * *

 **As Thomas prepared to hand out the final award at The Tommies, he glared at the audience, most of which were grinning as his obvious discomfort about the event.**

 ** _Wait... I have an idea..._**

 **After a moment, Thomas blinked... and his angry frown gave way to a dazzling smile.**

 **"Congratulations to all of those who have won awards tonight. I am genuinely pleased by all of your accomplishments. You've made me very proud."**

 **And, as Thomas watched, five hundred jaws dropped in amazement at his extremely shocking statement.**

 **Thinking of his past acting career, he smirked.**

 ** _I've still got it._**

* * *

(End of Chapter Forty-Three.) (15/07/17.)

* * *

 **01\. My personal comments:**

This is a bonus/omake drabble that is **not compliant** with the rest of this fanfic :P It is exactly one hundred words :) And this is here partly to serve as a marker between the second character arc and the third character arc :) And about this drabble, I'm one hundred percent sure that Thomas could have pulled this off :D

* * *

 **02\. A tiny request:**

Thank you for reading my fanfic! :D If you've read this far, I hope you'll consider taking an extra minute to leave a review for Chapter Forty-Three ("Omake 02")? :D Reviews really mean a lot to me as a fanfiction writer because I get to hear your thoughts on something I worked really hard on ^_^ Even if it's the year 2075 or something, I would love to hear your thoughts on this chapter! :D


	44. Day 33a (F): Avian Musings 02 (Level 18)

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Hollywood U. This amazing game belongs to Pixelberry! :)**

* * *

 **My responses to your reviews:**

183\. (15/07/17) Guest: I'm glad you like my fanfic! :)

182\. (29/06/17) MiraMaria: I think that if he only saw Marie Claire as a student, it would have been awkward and kind of difficult for him to describe her attractiveness in a non-professional way. So that's why he had quite a bit of trouble with the letters :P Thank you for the compliments! :D And you are very welcome! :)

181\. (27/06/17) FanficNewbie17: Thank you very much! :) That's the first time I've had somebody tell me something like that, so I'm really happy that my fanfic had that effect on you :D

180\. (30/05/17) Aza White: Hahaha, thank you! XD Very expressive use of capitalization and punctuation! :P

179\. (28/05/17) hp and stargirl: I'm very glad it made you feel that way! :D And I, uh, hope your heart is alright again now! XD

178\. (28/05/17) pikapika: Magpies and crickets, for me? :D Hmm... quite tempting... XD

177\. (28/05/17) Guest: Aww, thank you! :)

176\. (28/05/17) Romca: Hee hee! :P

175\. (27/05/17) CatsRtheBOSS: Thomas hasn't been practicing his telepathy, but it works anyway! Maybe he's a prodigy :P And what IS it with people thinking of him as a teddy bear? Marie Claire does, Priya does, you do, and so do I! XD I agree - it would have been really out-of-character if Thomas wrote those notes as a genuine secret admirer. They just don't sound like him! O.o As for the masquerade... I think Thomas is looking forward to it too, but probably for a different reason than you are... O.o XD

* * *

 **Chapter Forty-Four: Day 33a (Friday) – Avian Musings 02 (Level 18)**

* * *

As the sun rose over the trees and the humans' strange nests, Mischief gave a contented caw as she perched on the white table in the garden and waited for her human to wake up.

She knew, from experience, that it might take a long time. Her human, Thomas, had a very large nest, but it didn't seem to do the job very well. Mischief's nest, which was made of twigs and leaves and shiny things, was up in a tree where nests belonged, so that she could feel the morning dew and sunlight and know that it was time to wake up. Every time the clouds became heavy with water and it fell and damaged Mischief's nest, she could always gather some more twigs and fluff to patch up the holes and make it as good as new.

On the other talon, her human Thomas' nest was too large for just one human, which meant that he must have wasted much time building it. Not only that, but it had several holes. It had a big hole in the front, a hole almost the same size at the back, several small holes in the side, and even one on top! She knew that animals like rabbits and foxes had burrows to live in, and that they needed a hole to go inside when they needed shelter... but that was just one hole! Why did her human have more holes in his nest than Mischief could count on her talons?

Although maybe Mischief shouldn't judge. After all, she also took quite a bit of time to learn the things she knew now...

* * *

Deciding that she wanted a trainable, human pet was easy. But there was one big problem.

How was she supposed to catch a human?

The dog she had seen had a pet human, but dogs were bigger and had four legs and lots of pointy teeth. No doubt that dog had chased the human until it was tired and then used its teeth to drag it to its home and teach it how to be a proper pet. Its pet wasn't perfect – after all, when the human was too slow, the dog had to bark and pull on the human's rope to make it walk faster – but it entertained the dog, throwing a stick whenever the dog ordered it to with a commanding look and a big bark.

But how could a bird catch a human?

The first thing Mischief tried was to catch it the way she caught all of her prey. She knew it probably wouldn't work, because humans were much bigger than worms or crickets, but maybe humans were lighter than they looked?

So, one day, after watching humans near the sea, she chose one that had long fur on its head and shiny things attached to the sides of its face. While there were other humans nearby, ones that would likely be easier to catch, Mischief liked shiny things and she wanted a pet that had something in common with her. Besides, its long fur could be easily grabbed in her talons, unlike some of the other humans near the sea who didn't have any head-fur at all.

After she had selected her future pet, Mischief scouted the area, just as her parents had taught her to do when catching things to eat. While she certainly wasn't planning on eating the human, caution was important, so she circled around under fluffy clouds, scanning for anything that might prevent her from accomplishing her goal.

There weren't very many magpies near the water. No, this was seagull territory. Mischief normally would have done the polite thing and ask for permission before attempting to catch a human pet – after all, what if she was taking away somebody else's pet without know it? - but seagulls were loud, squawky things who didn't care about very much except for the little bits of food they found in all sorts of places. From the way they acted, flitting from one human to the next, it didn't seem like any of them had any single human pet to call their own. Maybe they were too irresponsible to take care of one, but Mischief was no absentminded seagull. She was an upstanding magpie.

Of course, Mischief had never really heard of a magpie having a human pet either, but she brushed the thought aside. If dogs could have human pets, surely magpies could too!

After circling a few more times to gain momentum, Mischief tucked her talons as close to her stomach she could, stretched out her right wing as far as it would go, adjusted the angle of her left wing ever so slightly so as to be able to catch or deflect air as needed – and she swooped down, past the clear air to the salty air to the dusty air – and, at precisely the right moment, she pushed her talons forward to grab hold of the woman's yellow head-fur and _pulled_...

...only for the human to let out very seagull-like squawk and use its hairless paws to drive her away. The glint of shiny things on the talons of her paws were very tempting for Mischief, so colorful and shiny and bright, but after one lucky swipe was so close that Mischief could feel the wind it produced very close to the top of her head, she decided it would be better to fly away for now and think of another plan.

So that was what she did.

And, from a safe distance away, Mischief took note of what she had learned. While leaves and twigs could be quite long but still very light, humans were not like leaves and twigs. Mischief would never be able to carry a human away – well, not unless she tried one of the chick-humans she sometimes saw, but those always had at least one or two bigger humans watching over it. Not only that, but Mischief would never take a chick-human away from its parents. Not only was that very mean, but they looked like they didn't do much except lay down. If she wanted a pet like that, she would have chosen a worm instead.

She also learned that when birds tried to take humans away, humans made loud sounds that attracted the attention of other humans, most likely her nestmates because they came running as soon as they heard the first human cry out in alarm.

From her first try, she knew that if she wanted to catch a human pet, she could not catch it the way she caught prey. But that was the only way that Mischief knew how to catch things. If that didn't work, how was Mischief supposed to get herself her very own human?

* * *

(End of Chapter Forty-Four.) (15/07/17.)

* * *

 **00\. My personal comments:**

Hello again, after so very long! :D (Seven weeks! Yikes! O.o Once again, I apologize for missing my original stated deadline! :( But I'm back now! :D) I thought that we could use a lighthearted chapter after the significant events that took place in The Chapter I Have Been Waiting For. In the first Avian Musings chapter (Chapter Thirty-Four), we saw a little of Mischief's childhood (chickhood?), and in this one, while waiting for Thomas to wake up, she reminisces about her first attempt to catch a human to have as a pet. After all, you didn't think that Thomas was the first human Mischief tried to catch, did you? :P

The next chapter, Chapter Forty-Five, will be uploaded seven days from now, on July 22, 2017, Saturday :D

Also, a personal request... if you have not yet reviewed The Chapter I Have Been Waiting For, I would super duper love it if you did! :D After all, it was this fanfic's first ever 16,000-word chapter (guess how LONG it took to write! XD), so I would really love to know how you felt when you read it, what your favorite parts were, and what you thought of the last scene, especially the last few lines :) From the name of the chapter itself, you can see that it means a lot to me, so I would really love some detailed feedback from you about that chapter, if possible! :) Thank you! :D

This chapter, Chapter Forty-Four, is the first chapter of this fanfic's third character arc :)

* * *

 **01\. Canon compliance:**

The only quest that took place in this chapter was Plot Twists (L18).

* * *

 **02\. A tiny request:**

Thank you for reading my fanfic! :D If you've read this far, I hope you'll consider taking an extra minute to leave a review for Chapter Forty-Four ("Avian Musings 02")? :D Reviews really mean a lot to me as a fanfiction writer because I get to hear your thoughts on something I worked really hard on ^_^ Even if it's the year 2075 or something, I would love to hear your thoughts on this chapter! :D

* * *

 **03\. Two interesting HWU things:**

One, the HWU online television series! :D Did you know that a fellow HWU fan, Zoe (her username on Tumblr is "dizzyclueless"), is diligently working on HWU: The Series? It's a fan-made online television series based on Thomas Hunt and other characters from Hollywood U! ^_^ (At the moment, I'm just a very enthusiastic supporter... but I would LOVE to be involved in HWU: The Series someday! :D) You can find out more about this AMAZING television project on Tumblr (their official Tumblr blog is "hwutheseries"). I just LOVE how Pixelberry and Hollywood U have inspired SO many of us fans! ^_^

And two, my second HWU fanfic! :D If you're interested in reading Marie Claire's perspective of this chapter (Chapter Forty-Four), then I encourage you to read "NYTMC 2: Marie Claire's Interlude" ^_^ Here's the summary: _"(Part two of the NYTMC series.) (Midquel.) How did Marie Claire Hart fall in love with her most dashing, yet most cantankerous, professor? A retelling of my MC/Hunt fanfic "NYTMC 1: Not Your Typical Meet-Cute" from Marie Claire's perspective, in 100-word drabbles."_


	45. Day 33b (F): Hunting Vermin (Level 18)

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Hollywood U. This amazing game belongs to Pixelberry! :)**

* * *

 **My responses to your reviews:**

188\. (22/07/17) MiraMaria: Thanks! :) Mischief is a very special bird :P

187\. (20/07/17) Guest: You... uh... might not like the chapter you're about to read... XD

186\. (20/07/17) Guest: And I honestly LOVED writing it, too! :D

185\. (16/07/17) Guest: Thank you! :P I hope my chapters make you smile during the weekend! :)

184\. (16/07/17) CatsRtheBOSS: Yay! It's great to see somebody so excited about my fanfic! :D Sometimes, it does get very difficult to update regularly, so I really appreciate that you notice my efforts :) I think pets have the good life... they get food, shelter, entertainment, and affection whenever they want, and humans are fine with all of that! Remember how Mischief took Thomas' pen the day they met? XD But he still gives her mixed nuts and dried fruit to eat! :P He really likes her :)

* * *

 **Chapter Forty-Five: Day 33b (Friday) – Hunting Vermin (Level 18)**

* * *

Marie Claire Hart was the very first thing on Thomas' mind when he woke up the morning after Valentine's Day.

Unfortunately for him, sleep did not make everything better. When he opened his eyes, he took a breath, and it was as if all the heightened emotions and disturbing epiphanies from the night before seeped back into his being, tailing the oxygen he had inhaled into his lungs.

He realized, then, how foolish he had been the day – and night – before. Spending hours writing fictional secret admirer notes to a student had been unwise. Being there in person to pull off such an easily-misinterpreted prank, even though he had sought the help of intermediaries, was risky. And offering to dance with a student on the rooftop?

Thomas wasn't a stupid man. So what had compelled him to commit such foolhardy acts?

Most likely the student herself.

Having been a professor for many years, Thomas had encountered different types of students – those who entered the university's halls with brimming confidence; those who had the passion for their art but needed time to feel comfortable exhibiting their talents in front of others; those who were unsure of themselves at first, but eventually found their niche and thrived, surprising their professors, their peers, and, most of all, themselves.

But even with those kinds of students and countless others, Thomas couldn't recall one making a first impression on him during their first day of class the way Marie Claire had. The same day that she had been informed of her unique academic requirements, she had stumbled into his classroom late, but she refused to leave even after he had ordered her to. And he remembered what he thought of her in that moment.

 _I am in the presence of another soul who would fight for their dreams._

And she did. She fought in ice cream carts and military tanks and film screening halls and theater stages and awards ceremonies and arena weddings and conference halls – against Bianca, and Anders, and Brian, and even Priya. But, even after Thomas had stood tall and told his peers the impressive story of her entire academic career, her whole journey sounding so fantastical that it sounded like an unbelievable fairy tale, Marie Claire had dared to sneak into his office like a filthy intruder.

Like **_vermin._**

That trophy represented all of Thomas' most cherished hopes, his most important accomplishments; and for Marie Claire to steal it from Thomas' office – **_not even twenty-four hours after he had vouched for her; not even twenty-four hours after the promise she made to him_** – it was _unfathomable._

Thomas raised his closed fist to his face, and as he slowly unfurled his fingers, the masquerade ticket from last night came into view, and the plan that had formed in a haze last night solidified into a logical course of action. Because that dance on the rooftop had proved marginally useful. In the startlingly gentle way she had gazed at Thomas, her soft, expressive eyes had given her away, and he had discovered Marie Claire's own hidden hopes. Hopes that Thomas fully intended to crush.

Like **_vermin._**

* * *

As he carried a saucer of nuts and small pieces of dried fruit to the table out of his back patio, the sight of Mischief waiting expectantly as she perched on the edge of the table made Thomas, despite his very unpleasant mood, soften a little. His feeding Mischief little snacks was becoming almost routine at this point. Instead of coming and going sporadically like one might expect of a wild bird, he could almost predict when she was going to be on his patio. Thomas was glad that Mischief was his pet.

However, that good feeling lasted for only a few moments, because Thomas only had time to give her her food and say hello to her – he was glad nobody could see into his backyard, because he would have looked quite silly – before he had to prepare to go to work. As he walked back to his house, he heard Mischief give a small caw, as if asking him where he was going, but he remembered the last time had spoken to her while he was angry – she had flown away and Thomas was afraid that he had driven her away permanently. He had a theory that Mischief, like other pets, could sense their owners' moods, and he didn't want her to have a bad day just because _he_ was certainly going to.

After he arrived at his office – he had woken up quite late, so it was almost noon by the time he parked his car in his faculty parking spot on the Hollywood U campus – he looked at his notes for today's lecture, and frowned. He knew that he had planned this particular lecture for today because it was the day after Valentine's day and his idiot students would still have hearts in their eyes from whatever had taken place in their lives the day before... but considering what had taken place inn Thomas' life the night before, love was the _last_ thing he wanted to talk about.

But because he had no time to create a new lecture – and, anyway, the lecture he had now would actually serve his plans, he told himself to pull it together as he strode with purpose to the main lecture auditorium.

As expected, when he entered, many of his students were in their seats, whispering as they traded stories of the romantic dates and beautiful gifts and exciting parties that had been part of their own Valentine's Day celebrations.

Thankfully, those whispers ebbed away as Thomas took his place on the podium and took stock of the room. Everybody seemed to be there on time despite the fact that yesterday must have been eventful for several of them. Even Lance was present. It was usually a hit or miss with that one; Thomas had an inkling that Lance wasn't fully aware that his lectures took place at different times of the day during the week, depending on the schedule he e-mailed to his freshman students every week. He was holding Bianca's hand and looking dreamily at her, and judging from the slight, if smug, smile on her face, his admiration was very welcome – until she heard something that made her look slightly to the right and made her frown at the person who had just giggled.

And when Thomas turned to look at who it was, he frowned too.

But because he didn't want to think about Marie Claire right now – there would be time for that later – he cleared his throat and began his lecture.

"As future filmmaking professionals, you will all have to train yourselves to recognize what is unique and visually worthwhile... as opposed to what has been done over and over again in the industry to the point that it has become irrelevant to its target audience. This afternoon, we will be discussing the rise, popularity, and fall of one of the most popular types of Hollywood movies, the romantic comedy."

He saw some of his students grin, probably at the idea of Thomas' stern self spending a whole class talking about love. Honestly, he couldn't blame them... but he could glare at them. And he did, making their grins falter for a bit before disappearing completely.

 _Good. If I have to be uncomfortable, at least I won't be the only one._

"In the early days of cinema, romantic movies were primarily based on historical events and their principal participants, such as Anthony and Cleopatra; or famous works of literature, such as Romeo and Juliet. These types of movies unfortunately portrayed women as fairly static characters, with character development only taking place once a male character gave their lives purpose. Even then, that character development was extremely limited – the emptiness of the female characters' lives was substituted by an all-consuming desire for the male character and that male character's success in their endeavors. It is now theorized that those early movies operated within such frankly insulting formulas because at the time, women were almost whole unrepresented in the filmmaking industry."

Many of his female students were frowning, and Thomas was gratified to see that many of his male students also looked displeased.

"However, with the gradual change in national and international communities in favor of women's rights, especially their increasing involvement in all areas of society – being admitted into formerly all-male educational institutions; finding employment in careers that were traditionally perceived as masculine; and many other such examples – Hollywood strove to stay on-trend and portray these ideas in film. Instead of being stagnant and inexperienced, female movie heroines were given careers, goals, and purposes in addition to the traditional model of marriage, children, and a life at home. Thus, movies also began to show women as the controllers of their own romantic destinies. With women now portrayed as having careers and lives of their own, there were many more plausible opportunities for men and women to meet and fall in love – often in humorous ways, which was how the romantic comedy genre came to be."

As he looked around, he saw that his students were surprisingly attentive to his lecture, considering that their minds must be still filled with thoughts of Valentine's Day. Of course, it could just be because of the subject of today's lecture featured romance. Either way, as long as they were listening and taking notes, Thomas was satisfied.

" However, with these societal changes also came technological changes. With more advanced cars, telephones, appliances, and information processing technology came the belief that any goal or venture ought to be accomplished in as little time as possible. Advanced cars drove faster, advanced computers processed faster, and so, this impatience, this distaste for wasted time, permeated into the filmmaking industry.

"Directors started to produce movies where men and women fell in love at first sight; or nevertheless had a strong emotional connection upon their initial meeting, whether that emotional connection was amorous or combative. And that is why we're discussing the decline of the romantic comedy, a genre that relies too often on an unbelievable formula. How often have you seen the two lead characters spend most of a movie fighting with each other... only to end up together in the end because of some ill-established passion? Real love is nothing like that."

As Thomas paused and consulted his notes to decide which example to use first, he heard a helpless giggle from the middle of the classroom. Considering that he had heard that same giggle just the night before while dancing with the culprit on a rooftop, he knew right away who it was.

"Marie Claire!" he snapped.

For the first time since their peaceful goodbye on the rooftop, they made eye contact.

It was like seeing a stranger before his eyes.

And Thomas wondered how he could have ever believed in her.

* * *

(End of Chapter Forty-Five.) (22/07/17.)

* * *

 **00\. My personal comments:**

As usual, that stuff about romantic comedies becoming more popular because of the change of perception of traditional gender roles... yeah, I made ALL that up XD I did absolutely zero research. I have to make a LOT of stuff up whenever Thomas is supposed to sound knowledgeable about anything XD

Also, just a little point of pride for me: If you look at your HWU screenshots of the "On the Hunt" date quest, you'll see that the very first line of narration is, "It's Friday afternoon, and you're sitting with Addison in the middle of Professor Hunt's class." And what day is it right now in "Not Your Typical Meet-Cute?" Friday! :D I have planned out this fanfic like you wouldn't BELIEVE, hee hee! :P

* * *

 **01\. Canon compliance:**

The quests that took place in this chapter were Plot Twists (L18) and On the Hunt (Day 01 of ?) (Part I of ?).

* * *

 **02\. A tiny request:**

Thank you for reading my fanfic! :D If you've read this far, I hope you'll consider taking an extra minute to leave a review for Chapter Forty-Five ("Hunting Vermin")? :D Reviews really mean a lot to me as a fanfiction writer because I get to hear your thoughts on something I worked really hard on ^_^ Even if it's the year 2075 or something, I would love to hear your thoughts on this chapter! :D

* * *

 **03\. Two interesting HWU things:**

One, the HWU online television series! :D Did you know that a fellow HWU fan, Zoe (her username on Tumblr is "dizzyclueless"), is diligently working on HWU: The Series? It's a fan-made online television series based on Thomas Hunt and other characters from Hollywood U! ^_^ (At the moment, I'm just a very enthusiastic supporter... but I would LOVE to be involved in HWU: The Series someday! :D) You can find out more about this AMAZING television project on Tumblr (their official Tumblr blog is "hwutheseries"). I just LOVE how Pixelberry and Hollywood U have inspired SO many of us fans! ^_^

And two, my second HWU fanfic! :D If you're interested in reading Marie Claire's perspective of this chapter (Chapter Forty-Five), then I encourage you to read "NYTMC 2: Marie Claire's Interlude" ^_^ Here's the summary: _"(Part two of the NYTMC series.) (Midquel.) How did Marie Claire Hart fall in love with her most dashing, yet most cantankerous, professor? A retelling of my MC/Hunt fanfic "NYTMC 1: Not Your Typical Meet-Cute" from Marie Claire's perspective, in 100-word drabbles."_


	46. Day 33c (F): Catching Vermin (Level 18)

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Hollywood U. This amazing game belongs to Pixelberry! :)**

* * *

 **My responses to your reviews:**

197\. (27/07/17) Guest: Hahaha! XD I love how shocked you seem to be! XD That's exactly right... I knew from the very beginning that I wanted that particular aspect to be present in her first name, which was why I named her Marie Claire. I'm glad you were able to figure it out! :) (And if you're still in a mystery-solving mood, maybe you can figure out the mystery/mysteries behind her last name, too...? :D)

196\. (25/07/17) CatsRtheBOSS: Ahhh! My second "Are you Thomas Hunt?" review! :D That's one of the biggest compliments I could ever hope to get as an MC/Hunt fanfic writer! Thank you! :D (Though, I shall have to come clean and confess that I am NOT Thomas Hunt, hee hee! :P) Also, I'm glad that the first line made you so happy! :D (Though honestly, I'm a bit surprised too, because of what came after that line XD) And, yup, this fanfic is VERY well-planned, down to the smallest of details. While there are some blank spots in my outline (where I can put whatever I want), the majority of my outline consists of very specific details for each chapter... and all canon-compliant, of course :D

195\. (24/07/17) Aelingala: That WOULD be a sight to see, wouldn't it? :P

194\. (24/07/17) Celenasardo: Yup! He was/is angry about the trophy, so to him, it feels like Marie Claire is somebody he never really knew at all :(

193\. (23/07/17) hp and stargirl: No way! Marie Claire's not drunk XD She just looks like a completely new person to him now after he found out what she did to him :(

192\. (23/07/17) hp and stargirl: Thanks! :D

191\. (23/07/17) pikapika: Yay! That was exactly how I wanted that to come across and how I wanted you to feel! :D It's sweet that you're trying to comfort Marie Claire... but do you REALLY want to side with Thomas' enemy? :P

190\. (23/07/17) Jemmie: You're right... my Excel outline IS color-coded! It uses six different colors! :) Also, the trick to sounding knowledgeable is PRECISELY the absence of research! XD If you're oblivious about your own ignorance, you gain confidence, and it's that confidence that makes what you write sound authoritative and logical! :D Out of the professor-y parts I've written for Thomas, my favorite, and the one that was definitely THE most difficult to write, was Chapter Twelve, where he was creating the spark sphere for his class. (The only useful research I did was to learn the term "transparent conductive wire/film," because I needed to know that there was something in real life that was both transparent AND could conduct electricity. After that... I just went wild XD) While I was writing that chapter, I kept groaning out loud about how unbelievably bored I was... but I was so proud of that chapter when I finished it! :) It's still one of my favorite chapters because of how much effort I put into it :D

189\. (23/07/17) owleyes374: Thank you! :) And I feel bad for him too! :(

* * *

 **Chapter Forty-Six: Day 33c (Friday) – Catching Vermin (Level 18)**

* * *

Excerpt from Chapter Forty-Five:

 _As Thomas paused and consulted his notes to decide which example to use first, he heard a helpless giggle from the middle of the classroom. Considering that he had heard that same giggle just the night before while dancing with the culprit on a rooftop, he knew right away who it was._

 _"Marie Claire!" he snapped._

 _For the first time since their peaceful goodbye on the rooftop, they made eye contact._

 _It was like seeing a stranger before his eyes._

 _And Thomas wondered how he could have ever believed in her._

* * *

Upon hearing her name, Marie Claire gave her irate film professor a startled glance.

"Is something amusing?" Thomas growled. "Perhaps you'd like to finish off my lecture on the difficulty of realistically portraying true love?"

But as soon as the words left his mouth, he could have kicked himself.

 _This was almost exactly how Marie Claire's first improv routine had taken place! I sarcastically challenged her to teach a class, and she accepted! She had better not do that this time... I am_ not _in the mood to witness another impersonation..._

Thankfully, the only thing she said was, "Sorry, Professor!" in what seemed to be a contrite tone.

Of course, he knew now that what Marie Claire seemed to be, and what she actually was, could be two very different things.

 _Now, where was I...? Ah, I remember. I was talking about real love..._

He continued his lecture.

"Films are produced for two reasons: to entertain an audience, and to enlighten an audience. While romantic comedies are filmed for the audience's amusement, there is a danger in taking certain principles espoused in these movies and applying them in one's real life, but this danger is widely ignored by audiences today.

"Romantic comedies often begin by portraying the protagonist's life as absurdly perfect – for example, they have a high-paying, professionally satisfying job at a workplace where they are admired by all. Normal people's lives are obviously not perfect, but because romantic comedies typically begin in this manner, the audience begins to think that because the protagonist has all the answers in their professional life, then they must also have the answers in their romantic life. I will now discuss some examples of typical opening scenes in romantic comedies and how they, even from the start, already defy logic..."

* * *

"...Because of that, a romantic comedy's third act, more often than not, shows the protagonist scrambling to straighten out a misunderstanding that could have been avoided if they and their love interest had stopped and conversed like intelligent adults for even two minutes. This, the long process of falling in love – the little moments and significant memories and countless minuscule interactions involved in the complex journey of coming to truly care for another human being – are reduced to rushed affections and irrational behavior that culminate in extremely ill-advised relationships.

 ** _"And in conclusion, once a genre full of heart, the majority of romantic comedies have descended into farce bereft of true emotion. Class dismissed. Except for Marie Claire. Come see me. We need to talk."_**

After his stern order to his student, Thomas gathered the papers on the podium and took them to the professor's desk on the right side of the stage. As Marie Claire approached his desk, Thomas gave her a curt order.

" ** _Just a second, Marie Claire."_**

He made a show of sorting his notes into an even pile with his hands. His actions of organizing all the papers on his desk, with the notable exception of one piece of stationery, naturally drew his student's attention to that piece of stationery – a ticket, to be precise – which Thomas had strategically placed there before he even began his lecture.

His ticket to the 5th Annual Los Angeles Charity Masquerade.

The very thing that Thomas needed Marie Claire to see in order for his plan to work.

This was the first time he and Marie Claire had been alone since – the night before. In the few moments it took him to organize the papers, he could hear the crinkling of his crisp papers as he brought them together; the light scraping sound they made as he tapped the stack of documents against his wooden desk; the glaring lights of the lecture auditorium that, in their intensity, almost made him want to squint.

It was almost as if Thomas' senses were heightened; as if this were his body's way, and his mind's way, of whispering to him, _It won't happen again. She won't fool us again. We won't let our guard down again._

" ** _A masquerade ball, huh? That sounds very romantic."_**

And she gave a small sigh.

Thomas knew that wistful sound – it was the same sigh he had heard from her the night before, after she had admitted to wishing that she had done traditional Valentine's Day things that night. It was the sigh that had prompted him to ask her to dance, and that dance had led to information that he wished he hadn't found out.

If last night had never happened, he would have taken Marie Claire's comment at face value – that masquerade ball was a mysterious setting, perfect for meeting the woman of Thomas' dreams. But with everything he had found out about her last night, Thomas was turning over every single word Marie Claire said in his head. Why did she think a masquerade ball was a good place to be? What it because she liked to hide parts of herself, like her true face? He had thought he knew her true face, had vouched for- Not even real thoughts, just snippets and senses and feelings; regarding her with a mistrusting eye, doubting every single word that came out of the mouth of **_vermin_** who acknowledged debts of honor right before turning around and proving she had none.

He put his papers aside and glared up at her.

" ** _Only someone delusional looks for love at a charity masquerade ball."_**

Or a Valentine's Day party, for that matter. He wondered if she would recognize his implied insult. It was true that, last night, he had felt sympathy for her, because his ill-conceived trick had raised her hopes for an amorous encounter on the so-called most romantic day of the year. But that was how Thomas knew his plan would work – he vouched for this student, and while he was mistaken in some ways about her virtue, he _did_ know certain aspects of her personality, and one of those aspects was a tendency to get involved in things that were none of her business. It had been an admirable quality in the past – after all, it was how she had convinced him to propose the stunt program to the rest of the faculty – but now, it was something about her that he fully intended to exploit.

" ** _This is merely an obligation."_**

Many of his experiences connected to Marie Claire had _not_ been obligations. He didn't _have_ to go to their Clash at Sunset production set to view Crash's stunt; he didn't _have_ to give her advice about Anders Stone during the Sundance Festival; he didn't _have_ to physically attend the wedding special that had been her third high-profile project.

He didn't _have_ to dance with her in the rain the night of the Fairy Kingdom Formal.

But he _had_ done those things anyway; he had given her more of his time, both professional and private, than was prudent. That would stop now, because she wasn't worth his tutelage. Whatever potential she had, it was up to her to develop it; develop her career. No more giving her out-of-class advice, no more visiting her film sets , no more listening to her ideas for the university. He wasn't obligated to do those things.

" ** _So... no date, then?"_**

That was too cheerful – nothing truly overt, but there was a slightly hopeful lilt to her voice, as if she was making sure that Thomas had no romantic entanglements at the present moment. She really ought to have known that already, since she _had_ danced with him on the rooftop, but she was probably just making sure.

" ** _A date would require me to spend the entire evening there. I can't imagine anything worse. I'll be leaving as soon as I've made my donation to the cause._**

Bait.

Now she knew that he would be there alone. If he wasn't there with a date, then it would be the perfect time to be approached by a mysterious stranger – who happened to be wearing a mask, just as the rules of the masquerade ball dictated. If Marie Claire were to make any sort of romantic overture towards him, a masquerade ball was the only only conceivable opportunity where it might actually work for more than five seconds.

He could see the intrigue in her eyes; the incremental raise of her eyebrows when he mentioned that he would be attending the event as somebody with no romantic attachments and intentions. Gears were already turning in her mind, and Thomas knew that for a fact because he had seen that slightly mischievous expression on her face many times – how many crazy antics had she been up to in her time at Hollywood U? – that he is quite familiar with the tiny sparkle in her eye that she likely didn't know she got every time she was embarking on some ill-advised venture.

But it was time to take her attention away from the very thing he wanted her to focus on. It couldn't be too obvious. Rats already knew about mousetraps; cockroaches already knew about poison. They wouldn't approach if they were suspicious.

" ** _But I didn't call you up here to discuss my social calendar, Marie Claire. I wanted to talk about your behavior in class."_**

This, too, was a backup plan he had come up with, and he was glad that Marie Claire's impertinence earlier in class had made things easier for him. By reprimanding her, he would get her hackles up, and she would be itching to do something sneaky to get back at him – somewhat like her first improv performance, where she had pretended to be him, which had been provoked by a sarcastic comment on his part. Sarcasm or reprimand, both would trigger a defensive, defiant attitude from her – one that Thomas was fully counting on.

" ** _But I was just-"_**

Just filming a movie and needed to use a tank. Just celebrating with Lisa and things got out of hand. Just gaining your trust and betraying you when you least expected it.

Those were things Marie Claire had never said to him, but actions spoke louder than words, and from her track record, she might as well had been making announcements outside his front door with a megaphone. While she had been a talented student, one with great potential, Marie Claire was prone to making big mistakes on admittedly rare occasions. But Thomas knew that the tank incident and the hotel incident weren't completely her fault – much of the blame lay in the hands of Crash and Lisa, her outrageously destructive classmates.

The blame for the theft of his trophy solely lay in her hands. Thomas had tried to explain away her actions to himself that night; he had tried to tell himself that she had been manipulated; that a student with very few connections had to give in to the Silver Circle because they could ruin her career; that it had made sense for them to give her that particular task because of what that trophy meant to him, and what his actions at her hearing must have meant to her. He thought those things and more; attempting to rationalize her actions, because he hadn't wanted to think that he would be betrayed by his most promising, yet most frustrating student.

But those had simply been excuses. Thomas was _**done**_ with excuses. He didn't _**want**_ her excuses.

" ** _I don't want to hear your excuses. It is unacceptable to disrupt my lecture. Save your chit chat for your time, understand?"_**

" ** _Yes, Professor."_**

He just wanted her out of his _**sight.**_

" ** _Good. You can go now."_**

And as she left, Thomas saw her right hand go inside the outer pocket of her bag. If he had to guess, he would surmise that that was where she kept her phone, and that she was likely planning on going online to check the details of the 5th Annual Los Angeles Charity Masquerade as soon as she left the lecture hall.

Truthfully, if his guesses turned out to be accurate, Thomas wouldn't be surprised in the slightest. She had stolen his trophy from his office, and from that despicable, dishonorable action, Thomas knew that boundaries weren't important to her, and that if she desired it, whether or not she had a right to be there, she would use deception and cunning to sneak into places she was never meant to go.

 ** _Like vermin._**

Except this time, he was counting on it.

Thomas took the ticket from his desk and wordlessly placed it in his pocket.

His student had taken the bait, just as he had planned. He had no doubt that she would be at that masquerade.

* * *

(End of Chapter Forty-Six.) (29/07/17.)

* * *

 **00\. My personal comments:**

While I was writing The Chapter I Have Been Waiting For, I did a lot of research about betrayal, and about writing betrayal. And my research told me that when a person is betrayed, they at first instinctively attempt to deny that the betrayal ever took place, because **_that person_** could have never betrayed them. That's why Thomas had the thoughts he had immediately after he overheard Marie Claire and Ethan's conversation.

Not only that, but something I did on purpose during the last scene of The Chapter I Have Been Waiting For was to avoid using Marie Claire's name in the narration, **_even once._**

Immediately after overhearing the rooftop conversation, Thomas' subconscious (the narration) refused to even use her name (I only referred to Marie Claire as "her" in the narration), because the shock went that deep and his mind was in denial, and by not using her name, he was, at least subconsciously, trying to make himself believe that she hadn't betrayed him; that "Marie Claire" wouldn't have done that. At the same time, because Marie Claire HAD done that, he couldn't even _**bear**_ to think of her name, hence referring to her as simply "her." (This was all his subconscious, though.)

Most of his reaction is a result of Marie Claire's actions - but a part of it is because of the Silver Circle. Being a filmmaker was Thomas' entire identity, and when he refused to join the Silver Circle, they used their connections to prevent him from progressing with his career and developing as a filmmaker, all but forcing him to retire. The thought of his most promising, yet most frustrating student - the one he has helped in COUNTLESS ways - conspiring with the Silver Circle to hurt him, to symbolically take away his hopes and dreams, just like they ACTUALLY, LITERALLY took away his hopes and dreams all those years ago, is not a good thought. Because of the fact that she actually went through with her Silver Circle initiation task, Thomas' feelings for Marie Claire are, at the moment, deeply intertwined with his feelings for the Silver Circle. It's a difficult thing for Thomas to process. He's still processing it.

(Of course, being Thomas, he's not going to cry into his pillow, or scream at Marie Claire, or anything like that. To do those things would mean bringing his subconscious feelings too close to his conscious mind.)

How do you forgive somebody when you, yourself, are trying to deny that that person was even close enough to you to actually be able to betray you? (After all, betrayal is only betrayal if somebody you trusted does it.) And how do you forgive somebody who isn't asking for your forgiveness, who can't ask for your forgiveness, because they believe that you know nothing of their betrayal? These questions, and more, are what Thomas will be struggling with in the chapters that follow. I won't mention betrayal and traitors and all of that ALL the time (it'll just get repetitive if I keep saying the same things over and over again), but this is the mindset Thomas will have in the chapters to come.

This is **_not_** the Thomas who was amused at Marie Claire's impersonation of him; this is **_not_** the Thomas who offered to dance with Marie Claire in the rain because she looked cold and lonely. At this very moment, Thomas' relationship with Marie Claire is more complex, and more fractured, than it has ever been before.

* * *

 **01\. Canon compliance:**

The quests that took place in this chapter were Plot Twists (L18) and On the Hunt (Day 01 of ?) (Part II of ?).

* * *

 **02\. A tiny request:**

Thank you for reading my fanfic! :D If you've read this far, I hope you'll consider taking an extra minute to leave a review for Chapter Forty-Six ("Catching Vermin")? :D Reviews really mean a lot to me as a fanfiction writer because I get to hear your thoughts on something I worked really hard on ^_^ Even if it's the year 2075 or something, I would love to hear your thoughts on this chapter! :D

* * *

 **03\. Two interesting HWU things:**

One, the HWU online television series! :D Did you know that a fellow HWU fan, Zoe (her username on Tumblr is "dizzyclueless"), is diligently working on HWU: The Series? It's a fan-made online television series based on Thomas Hunt and other characters from Hollywood U! ^_^ (At the moment, I'm just a very enthusiastic supporter... but I would LOVE to be involved in HWU: The Series someday! :D) You can find out more about this AMAZING television project on Tumblr (their official Tumblr blog is "hwutheseries"). I just LOVE how Pixelberry and Hollywood U have inspired SO many of us fans! ^_^

And two, my second HWU fanfic! :D If you're interested in reading Marie Claire's perspective of this chapter (Chapter Forty-Six), then I encourage you to read "NYTMC 2: Marie Claire's Interlude" ^_^ Here's the summary: _"(Part two of the NYTMC series.) (Midquel.) How did Marie Claire Hart fall in love with her most dashing, yet most cantankerous, professor? A retelling of my MC/Hunt fanfic "NYTMC 1: Not Your Typical Meet-Cute" from Marie Claire's perspective, in 100-word drabbles."_


	47. Day 34 (S): Silent Speech (Level 18)

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Hollywood U. This amazing game belongs to Pixelberry! :)**

* * *

 **My responses to your reviews:**

203\. (05/08/17) CatsRtheBOSS: I have had the "Thomas actually orchestrates Marie Claire's presence at the masquerade ball" idea in my head since FOREVER ago (or, well, at least since April 2016 XD), so being able to reveal it AND finally writing how he actually does it is incredibly satisfying! :D There are so many things going on in Thomas' subconscious that I couldn't include in the narration or dialogue of the story itself because he's himself doesn't know what they are, which is why I had to explain everything in that author's note XD Thank you so much for noticing the hard work I've put into this! :)

202\. (05/08/17) Yuki: I'm glad that the moment you've waited for has arrived, then! :D (At least, in terms of the masquerade ball being mentioned.) It's true that I did a LOT of research before starting this story (and I still do a lot of research in the process of writing it), but it's truly been a labor of love :)

201\. (30/07/17) Pikapika: Hee hee! :P To be honest, it's so much fun that it almost feels... not exactly easy because there's a lot of effort involved, but I would say... really natural? I just feel so connected to these characters that analyzing their relationship, and writing about it, is a really thrilling experience! :D

200\. (30/07/17) hp and stargirl: I hope your heart is alright, or will be alright! XD

199\. (30/07/17) Guest: I'm really happy to hear that! :D Because to me, Thomas' and Marie Claire's relationship is, as you said, complex, and extremely so. There's so much development in their professional relationship AND their personal relationship in the quests, and those moments are what I hope to represent in my writing! :D

198\. (30/07/17) owleyes374: Thanks! :) I'm glad you like the idea! :D

* * *

 **Chapter Forty-Seven: Day 34 (Saturday) – Silent Speech (Level 18)**

* * *

After adjusting his tie in front of the mirror, Thomas deemed himself ready to leave. While he wasn't required to be at the university today, he needed to retrieve some papers from his office so that he could prepare the verbal budget request he would be giving at the staff meeting tomorrow morning. In the past few years, he had normally assigned his freshman class this project a little later in the year, but he knew that the fairly new stunt program still had some dissenters in the staff, and showing them his student's creative films, improved by their stunt peers, would go a long way in quelling the faculty's doubts about the stunt program's right to exist at Hollywood U.

 _I'll use the same notes as last year, but I'll need to modify them because of-_

His musings were interrupted by a very light, barely discernible rhythmic sound coming from outside. While Thomas hadn't thought that it would rain today, it wasn't a problem for him because he was going to drive to the university anyway. As he continued inspecting his crisp suit in the mirror for any wrinkles or dust, he continued to think.

Where did I put my umbrella? Even if it's a light fall of rain now, it might grow-

Again, Thomas heard the sound – but it was louder now, more insistent, as if it had a will of its own. Realizing that rain wouldn't make such a sound, he turned to look at his bedroom window...

...where a familiar, black-feathered magpie with a few white feathers on her white wing was repeatedly tapping on his window pane with her hard beak.

 _Mischief?_

While he and Mischief had come to a silent agreement that she was now Thomas' pet, he normally interacted with her outside, where he would give her dried fruit and mixed nuts... and she, inexplicably, would occasionally give him worms and crickets... though that was perhaps not so inexplicable – they were, after all, probably her way of thanking him for the delicious treats he gave her. However, this was the first time that she had sought entry to his home... and from the urgent manner of her tapping, she must have had a reason.

Confused, but not opposed to letting Mischief inside, Thomas hurriedly walked to the window and opened it, and immediately there was a flurry of feathers in front of his face that lasted only for a few moments before Mischief settled on his shoulder – and, with her beak so close to his ear, Thomas could hear her tiny, whimpered caws, and he knew at once that something was wrong...

...but unfortunately, Thomas didn't speak magpie.

Rather than attempt to speak with Mischief through bird caws, he walked back to the mirror in order to be able to get a closer look at Mischief – and he didn't like what he saw. While birds didn't have eyebrows, noses, or lips, Mischief still managed to express her distress to Thomas as clearly as any human could have. The sharp jerk of one of her wings occasionally brushed against Thomas' ear as her slightly trembling form attempted to peck at something on her side.

"Caw!" Mischief cried out as she kept trying to peck something under her wing, almost sounding breathless in her panic. "Caw-caw, caw!"

Thomas couldn't see it at first – her glossy black feathers and constant agitated movement prevented him from being able to focus on her form in the mirror right away – but then, during her sharp movements, the morning sunlight streaming into his bedroom, shone on her side at the exactly the right angle for just a second or two, and Thomas managed to spot something glint in the light – something that looked like...

 _Is that... metal?_ Thomas thought in alarm.

Now that he has spotted it, there was no mistaking what it was – a needle. Judging from the fact that Thomas could still see a half an inch sticking out of Mischief's side, it must have been an especially long one – possibly a professional fashion designer's needle, or something similar.

No wonder Mischief couldn't reach it – while she was a very smart bird, her beak simply wasn't fine enough to be able to take hold of the needle and take it out. Not only that – but if she somehow managed to do so, she could injure her tongue, or the roof of her mouth, and that would have been even more painful for her.

At first, Thomas thought that perhaps he ought to take Mischief to a veterinarian – they probably had special pliers or tweezers for this sort of animal mishap – but Mischief's cries, eventually dwindling from whimpered caws to mere pained inhalations of air, almost like quiet sobs, and Thomas' heart twisted at the pitiful sound because Thomas, too, knew what it was like to be in pain, and the thought of somebody he cared for – even if it was a fountain pen-stealing, unusually adorable magpie – going through pain was unbearable for him, and almost against his will, he held his hand out to her.

It was the first time he had ever touched his cricket-catching pet avian, but despite that, she didn't seem alarmed in the slightest as his fingers gently settled on the top of her smooth, glossy head. After giving her two or three soothing pets with his index finger, her panic ebbed away, her stiff caws turning into small, almost cat-like purrs as her stroked her small, shiny head feathers.

Knowing that he had a job to do, and that it was better to do it now that Mischief had settled down, Thomas turned his shoulder to be able to see it from a better angle, and, focusing on the mirror before him that showed him where the needle was, he reached with the hand that wasn't stroking Mischief's head – _wait, did she just tilt her head and affectionately rub it against my fingers? Is Mischief part cat?_ \- and, in a gesture that took precisely half a second to execute, he deftly plucked the needle from her side.

Apart from one quick shudder from the otherwise compliant magpie as the foreign object departed her body, she gave no other overt indication that anything was the matter – though, from the quieter, more relaxed breathing inches away from his ear, Thomas knew that she her pain had been relieved, and that she was now fine.

After giving her a few gentle pats, this time with his whole hand – he noticed that her shiny black feathers were even smoother than they looked, Thomas knew that it was time for him to leave for the university. Laptop bag in one hand and house keys in the other, he locked his back door before making his way to the patio table where Mischief usually waited for him, and he bent down so that she could easily hop from his shoulder to the table, and fly free from there...

...except she didn't. Flapping her wings in agitation for the first time since he had extracted the needle from her side, she dug her talons into his shoulder and refused to budge.

Next, he tried bodily lifting her, because surely with both of his hands, he could pry a small magpie from her tight grip on his suit, but she made her displeasure known by giving loud, annoyed caws.

"Caw-caw-caw! CAW!"

If he didn't know any better, Thomas would say that her caws almost sounded like...

 _Is Mischief..._ scolding _me?! How can my own pet_ scold _me?_

With a magpie that was now pain-free but extremely uncooperative, and an important budget proposal he had to prepare for before tomorrow, Thomas decided that maybe they would need to visit a veterinarian after all...

* * *

...except that when they did, even the veterinarian, Dr. Venker, couldn't cajole Mischief into letting go of Thomas' shoulder.

After trying, and failing, to lift her from Thomas' shoulder, Dr. Venker tried enticing Mischief with nuts and berries. She wasn't tempted.

Next, Dr. Venker made predator noises – the human medical professional's vocal cords were surprisingly skilled in executing cat, dog, raccoon, hyena, and polar bear impersonations – to attempt to scare Mischief into flight, but her keen sight and advanced sense of smell informed her that there were no polar bears in the room, and that plan failed as well.

Finally, he made an odd yet melodic warbling noise in his throat, which he assured Thomas was an accurate rendition of a magpie mating call, but from Mischief's firm, unchanged stance, it was very clear to both of the humans in the room that _no,_ Mischief was _not_ interested in forming shallow romantic attachments, thank you very much.

Despite the fact that Mischief was currently causing him quite a large amount of difficulty – Dr. Venker told him that because Thomas had made her pain go away, Mischief now considered him her protector, and would likely stay very close to him for the rest of the day, until she fell asleep – Thomas was strangely proud of her for that. Romance only led to trouble. He had a very intelligent pet.

* * *

Of the two living beings in Thomas' car, there was a possibility that the avian was actually the more intelligent of the two, because the avian was relaxing comfortably on the shoulder of an expensive Armani suit while the human wearing said suit parked his car and was now attempting to sneak unnoticed into the main administrative building of Hollywood U.

Because of his unbelievable bad luck during the past couple of days, Thomas almost expected the entire faculty to turn around the corner as he unlocked the door to his office, but no such embarrassing coincidence occurred. Relieved that he had somehow managed to traverse the hallways without seeing anybody, Thomas gathered the budget papers from last year from a thick binder and was about to take his laptop out of his laptop bag when a thought occurred to him.

 _What if somebody comes in here looking for me? If it's a member of the staff, I certainly couldn't refuse them entry. I should take these papers and read them in a place where nobody will think to look for me..._

Mentally patting himself on the back for preventing a problem before it occurred, Thomas took the papers he needed from the binder, placed them in a smaller folder, and put that folder next to his laptop. After zipping his laptop bag shut and carrying it to his door – he did not look at his shelf because he **_did not want to look at his shelf_** – Thomas poked his head out, hearing a small squawk of protest in the process because he had accidentally slightly knocked Mischief's head on his wooden door as he leaned forward to make sure that the coast was clear.

After ruffling her feathers slightly, as if to show Thomas that he could do whatever he liked, but Mischief was there on his shoulder, and there she would remain until she decided otherwise, his pet quieted down. It was almost as if she knew that her owner's dignified state of mind depended on her being able to do her part in enhancing the stealth aspect of their mission – well, Thomas' mission, anyway – of creeping as quietly as possible to the elevator so that he could work in the undisturbed privacy of Screening Room H-Six.

* * *

A quick dash to the elevator later, Thomas triumphantly pressed the correct button on the panel, smiling as the elevator doors closed and he and his avian stowaway slowly descended to the basement. He was much more relaxed when the elevator doors opened once more and he stepped out into the mostly dark hallway, knowing that he was finally safe from discovery. Strolling confidently down the corridor, he hummed a lighthearted tune to himself, smiling contentedly...

...until Ethan Blake turned the corner and gave Thomas a startled glance, dropping several large, rolled-up documents from his arms in shock, barely noticing as two of them rolled across the floor.

Thomas' smile froze, and promptly disappeared altogether.

Bending quickly to gather his scattered rolled-up papers, Ethan couldn't see the Thomas' eyes widen slightly in panic as he tried to think of a reasonable explanation to give his student for why he had a magpie – one who was looking around curiously, at that – on his shoulder, when people's shoulders were really not where magpies were supposed to be.

After Ethan stepped forward to pick up the last errant, scroll-like document that had rolled to just a few feet away from Thomas, he stood up and brushed himself off self-consciously with one hand, before once again holding his bounty of rolled-up documents in both arms, and Ethan stared at Thomas as Thomas stared right back.

Obviously, Ethan wanted to know why Thomas had a bird on his shoulder. Professors generally didn't have birds on their shoulders.

Obviously, Thomas wanted to know why Ethan had an armful of what looked like blueprints. Students generally didn't have several blueprints in their arms.

But, really, Thomas didn't need to know. He wanted to know, but he didn't need to know. What he needed was to get out of this predicament with his professorly dignity intact.

And, remembering the incident in his office on Valentine's Day, where Andrew had not even taken one glance at Thomas's toy magpie after Thomas had mentally willed him to ignore the stuffed animal, Thomas straightened his shoulders – the live magpie on one of aforementioned said shoulders gave his hair a tiny peck in protest at sudden motion, which almost made her lose her balance – and looked at Ethan directly in the eye.

 _Ethan, you and I did not see each other today. This never happened._

His attempt at telepathic communication complete, he was about to begin to walk away, when...

 _Agreed, Professor Hunt. This never happened._

Thomas stopped dead.

Ethan stared at Thomas as Thomas stared right back.

Neither one of them blinked.

 _No... no_ way _... Did Ethan just... speak to me_ telepathically?

Then Mischief gave a quiet, inquisitive caw, and as if a spell was broken, both men turned slightly to the right and walked as quickly as they could in opposite directions, as if they had been alone in that corridor all along.

 _That..._ had _to just be my imagination..._

After reaching Screening Room H-Six and finding the door slightly ajar, Thomas hurriedly stepped into the room and closed the door behind him, the loud sound making his feathered companion give a slight jump before digging her talons even more firmly into his shoulder.

Shaking his head, Thomas found the DVD of the movie Jaws and placed it inside the DVD player before sinking into the seat directly in front of the screen. He knew that he was supposed to be working on a budget proposal... but at the moment, Thomas needed to relax, and watching a movie about a menacing, bloodthirsty shark threatening the innocent citizens of a humble beach town was bound to be less stressful than the morning he just had.

"Caw, caw," crooned Mischief, and while she still stayed perched on Thomas' shoulder, her grip relaxed ever so slightly, and he felt Mischief's small but sharp beak nuzzle the side of his head as she, Thomas guessed from her motions, attempted to straighten a few hairs on his head.

He was dumbfounded.

 _First, she_ scolds _me, and now she's..._ grooming _me?!_

Put out, Thomas made a show of huffing and crossing his arms in protest... but he also quietly admitted to himself that he was a little touched by his Mischief's guileless, affectionate ministrations. She really was a very good pet.

* * *

(End of Chapter Forty-Seven.) (05/08/17.)

* * *

 **00\. My personal comments:**

Mischief really trusts Thomas! :)

I did a tiny bit of research for this chapter: After I wrote that Mischief had an advanced sense of smell, I had to look up whether or not birds, especially magpies, actually have a sense of smell at all. And they do! :) However, I have no idea what a magpie mating call sounds like, or if magpies even _have_ mating calls XD Oh, and I also have no idea whether or not fashion designers have extra long needles at their disposal, or if those even exist :P

Looks like Thomas had a very... interesting... encounter down in the basement! Was it real... or was it not real...? :D

Also, let's play a game called "Spot the Subconscious!" :P Can you find the instances where Thomas' thoughts about... a certain pink-haired student... were mentioned in this chapter? :D

* * *

 **01\. Canon compliance:**

The only quest that took place in this chapter was Plot Twists (L18).

* * *

 **02\. A tiny request:**

Thank you for reading my fanfic! :D If you've read this far, I hope you'll consider taking an extra minute to leave a review for Chapter Forty-Seven ("Silent Speech")? :D Reviews really mean a lot to me as a fanfiction writer because I get to hear your thoughts on something I worked really hard on ^_^ Even if it's the year 2075 or something, I would love to hear your thoughts on this chapter! :D

* * *

 **03\. Two interesting HWU things:**

One, the HWU online television series! :D Did you know that a fellow HWU fan, Zoe (her username on Tumblr is "dizzyclueless"), is diligently working on HWU: The Series? It's a fan-made online television series based on Thomas Hunt and other characters from Hollywood U! ^_^ (At the moment, I'm just a very enthusiastic supporter... but I would LOVE to be involved in HWU: The Series someday! :D) You can find out more about this AMAZING television project on Tumblr (their official Tumblr blog is "hwutheseries"). I just LOVE how Pixelberry and Hollywood U have inspired SO many of us fans! ^_^

And two, my second HWU fanfic! :D If you're interested in reading Marie Claire's perspective of this chapter (Chapter Forty-Seven), then I encourage you to read "NYTMC 2: Marie Claire's Interlude" ^_^ Here's the summary: _"(Part two of the NYTMC series.) (Midquel.) How did Marie Claire Hart fall in love with her most dashing, yet most cantankerous, professor? A retelling of my MC/Hunt fanfic "NYTMC 1: Not Your Typical Meet-Cute" from Marie Claire's perspective, in 100-word drabbles."_


	48. Day 35 (S): Estimate (Level 18)

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Hollywood U. This amazing game belongs to Pixelberry! :)**

* * *

 **My responses to your reviews:**

206\. (09/08/17) Pikapika: Hey, we're talking about a filmmaking university where we can enroll Santa Claus XD I think it's safe to say that anything is possible at Hollywood U... XD

205\. (06/08/17) hp and stargirl: Ooh, four guesses! :D While that long fashion designer needle did NOT belong to Addison, your second, third, and fourth guesses ARE correct! :D Yay! :) (Of course, there are even more references still hidden away... :D)

204\. (06/08/17) Jemmie: This story is, indeed, VERY well-planned :D As for your question... I think I'll keep that a mystery for now, hee hee! :P But if you keep reading, you'll find out one way or another! :P

* * *

 **Chapter Forty-Eight: Day 35 (Sunday) – Estimate (Level 18)**

* * *

Rubbing the sides of his forehead to relieve his small headache, Thomas leaned back in his office chair with a groan. Next year, he would have to simply include the costs of the next project for his freshman class in the budget estimate he submitted to Andrew at the beginning of the year. Fluctuating class sizes and materials costs weren't worth the hassle of having to debate the other professors, who believed that because some of their classes had older students, they should have a bigger share of the regular alumni donations the university received.

Thomas, meanwhile, believed the opposite. At least their sophomore, junior, and senior students already knew how to budget their projects accordingly, and to rectify their mistakes when things went wrong. His freshman class, on the other hand, had plenty of idiots who could barely budget their way out of a paper bag.

Which, incidentally, was one of the major teaching points of tomorrow's project to begin with.

Normally, during times like this, he would retreat to Screening Room H-Six. Yesterday, the time he had spent with Mischief had a strange feeling of familiarity as he and his pet bird watched the shark hide underwater, unseen, underestimated, waiting patiently until it could let out its true nature and attack like the savage animal that it was.

He was sure Mischief couldn't relate to such an atrocious animal – she already flattered and cajoled him with her oddly sweet caws and occasionally watery eyes that she was able to get him to do what she wanted, even to the point of giving her his pistachios. But perhaps he was just ascribing human traits to a non-human being. After all, how could Mischief know what mannerisms Thomas would find adorable? She was his pet, not the other way around!

As his headache subsided, Thomas let go of his forehead and started to organize his desk, which was covered in the different documents he had reviewed that morning to prepare for the staff meeting. As one of his documents fell to the floor, landing a couple of inches away from the shelf, he remembered that he had another project to arrange – the bodyguard project – and that he needed to call in a guest speaker to discuss the topic with his class. His students, while still in the process of establishing their careers, would be better off knowing sooner rather than later to be careful about their actions and who they to trust.

He knew just whom to call.

* * *

(End of Chapter Forty-Eight.) (12/08/17.)

* * *

 **00\. My personal comments:**

This chapter was REALLY short O.o And part of the reason why is because it took place on a weekend when Thomas had no class or university activities.

Actually, this is somewhat of an anomaly, since most of Thomas's past Sundays have actually been pretty eventful. Lisa's debut, the Fairy Kingdom Formal, and the dress rehearsal of Good as Gold all took place on Sundays. And, now that I think about it, remember that Good as Gold dress rehearsal? That was in Chapter Thirty-Five, and that was the last Sunday before this one! O.o It really feels like such a long time ago to me! O.o

Once again, it's time to play "Spot the Subconscious!" :P Can you find the instances where Thomas' thoughts about... a certain pink-haired student... were mentioned in this chapter? :D Since this was a short chapter, they should be easier to find :P

* * *

 **01\. Canon compliance:**

The only quest that took place in this chapter was Plot Twists (L18).

* * *

 **02\. A tiny request:**

Thank you for reading my fanfic! :D If you've read this far, I hope you'll consider taking an extra minute to leave a review for Chapter Forty-Eight ("Estimate")? :D Reviews really mean a lot to me as a fanfiction writer because I get to hear your thoughts on something I worked really hard on ^_^ Even if it's the year 2075 or something, I would love to hear your thoughts on this chapter! :D

* * *

 **03\. Two interesting HWU things:**

One, the HWU online television series! :D Did you know that a fellow HWU fan, Zoe (her username on Tumblr is "dizzyclueless"), is diligently working on HWU: The Series? It's a fan-made online television series based on Thomas Hunt and other characters from Hollywood U! ^_^ (At the moment, I'm just a very enthusiastic supporter... but I would LOVE to be involved in HWU: The Series someday! :D) You can find out more about this AMAZING television project on Tumblr (their official Tumblr blog is "hwutheseries"). I just LOVE how Pixelberry and Hollywood U have inspired SO many of us fans! ^_^

And two, my second HWU fanfic! :D If you're interested in reading Marie Claire's perspective of this chapter (Chapter Forty-Eight), then I encourage you to read "NYTMC 2: Marie Claire's Interlude" ^_^ Here's the summary: _"(Part two of the NYTMC series.) (Midquel.) How did Marie Claire Hart fall in love with her most dashing, yet most cantankerous, professor? A retelling of my MC/Hunt fanfic "NYTMC 1: Not Your Typical Meet-Cute" from Marie Claire's perspective, in 100-word drabbles."_


	49. Day 36 (M): Red Sticker (Level 18)

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Hollywood U. This amazing game belongs to Pixelberry! :)**

* * *

 **My responses to your reviews:**

207\. (13/08/17) Jemmie: At the moment, I don't have ALL the help quests in my outline, but I HAVE used quite a few of them already, and there will be more to come! :D

* * *

 **Chapter Forty-Nine: Day 36 (Monday) – Red Sticker (Level 18)**

* * *

As Thomas' freshmen students filed into the cavernous main lecture hall, he swept his eyes over those who had arrived early, trying to identify which students he believed would be given greater roles than others in the upcoming special effects class project. While then special effects majors would be good choices, considering their affinity for the project's requirements, popularity and connections, especially with those of influence, determined visibility, and there was no place where that statement held more truth than in the cutthroat world of Hollywood.

A few minutes later, after they had settled in their preferred seats, Thomas began his prepared project introduction.

"As everybody will remind you, our state-of-the-art filmmaking equipment, innovative academic curriculum, and illustrious faculty are all factors which have made Hollywood U the most prestigious, most exclusive filmmaking university in the world, bar none.

"Training the very best of the entertainment industry has given us the benefit of almost unlimited funds for vanity student projects – and I intend to test your ability to maintain the caliber of student we prefer to keep here. This week, five students will be chosen to lead the rest of you in producing effects-heavy student films, irrespective of budget concerns. This is a one-time project in your freshman year – in essence, you will be receiving a blank check. Anything you want, or need, will be yours."

Thomas took a breath, but before he could continue, his lecture was interrupted by somebody squealing in excitement.

"Professor Hunt! Over here!"

Wanting to complete his lecture in a timely manner, he had no choice but to turn towards the bubbly speaker – a special effects major named Sorell Stevenson – who was, unsurprisingly, seated next to Marie Claire. Of course she would be beside somebody who was disrupting his class. Like called to like. Nevertheless, he nodded at Sorell for him to continue.

"I love this idea, Professor! We're going to make awesome movies for you! But, one question – how are you choosing the five students?"

Well, at least his question led to my next point.

"I'm not. You are."

As Thomas handed out the voting ballots he had prepared in advanced, he advised his students to vote their peers who would be exemplary leaders for their groups. Because this was one of the biggest projects of the year, it would behoove them to keep several criteria in mind when choosing their project leaders.

Those students had to be strong-willed enough in order to effectively lead the group, organized enough to keep track of even minor details; talented enough that their input would be respected by the students they were to guide; resourceful enough to be able to find alternatives when things didn't go according to plan; and visionary enough, imaginative enough, to create a film that would actually come close to meeting Thomas' exacting standards.

Unfortunately, after the ballots were counted and the leaders were chosen, it turned out that the fifth leader that had won by popular vote was...

"Marie Claire." He took a second to glance at the surprised expression on her face. "Surely there must be some mistake," he said, frowning for a moment at the list with the voting results before looking gazing at all of his students once more, "but a recount would be a waste of my valuable time. You may begin."

Watching his students go to the leader of their choice – and feeling himself frown once more when he saw several converge on Marie Claire, asking to be a member of her group. Thomas shook his head in disgust as he walked back to his desk to pack his things. If trustworthiness had been one of the items on the criteria, the names on the results list would have been completely different.

* * *

An hour and a half later, Thomas was in front of the same group of students once more, about to announce their second project of the week in which, ironically, trust played a very big role.

"All of you need not look further than this room to see what you strive for in your careers – a rapt audience hanging on to your every word. However, I warn you now that there is a great difference between an attentive crowd... and an out-of-control mob wanting to tear you apart."

Several of his students shuddered.

"While most of you have a long way to go before you can even approach the possibility of acquiring a large fan base, it will nevertheless be in your best interest to hire a bodyguard in order to keep your fans, and, more importantly, your enemies, as far away from you as possible – and this week's assignment will show you how valuable this lesson will be to your careers in the future. Consult the board for your project partners."

Most of his students did just that.

"Now that you know who you'll be working with this week, it is time for me to introduce our guest speaker. He has provided exemplary service to several A-list celebrities, and I myself can vouch for the fact that he is one of the most capable and resourceful bodyguards in Hollywood. Please welcome Diego Barrantes."

After shaking Thomas' hand and starting his somewhat improvised lecture, Thomas could detect a slight problem. Diego, who had politely agreed to Thomas' request to come to his class a guest speaker, was very confident when applying his skills to ensuring the safety of his client – but being a bodyguard, he was much more in his element behind-the-scenes, and was clearly not used to addressing a large audience for a significant period of time.

His reticence showed in the slightly awkward way he began his lecture – which Thomas didn't fault him for, because he was a very competent professional in his own field – but his discomfort was dispelled when Marie Claire made eye contact and waved encouragingly at Diego, who seemed to straighten up and grow more confident at seeing somebody he liked and trusted in the crowd.

It seemed like Diego also had a lesson to learn.

"People usually see bodyguards as just hired muscle," Diego began, "but the thing that a lot of people don't understand is that there's more than that to being a good bodyguard. As a bodyguard, you always have to look five steps ahead to see what can put your client in danger, and be cunning enough to prepare for anything that can happen. When your client is famous, there are always threats wherever they go – but if a bodyguard can anticipate threats before they happen, then half the job's done before you get out of the limo."

He paused for a moment to hold up a large, bright red sticker.

"So, this week, we're going to see if you can do that, too. A bunch of your classmates have already agreed to help out in the survival game Professor Hunt and I planned for the next couple of days. It's going to teach you the dynamics of a bodyguard-client relationship, and there are going to be rules. If you get hit with a red sticker, you lose. If your bodyguard hits an assassin with a red sticker, the assassin loses. But if your bodyguard hits an innocent person with a red sticker, both of you are out of the game, because a good bodyguard need to know the difference between dangerous threats and innocent civilians. Be on your guard, because anybody you see might be an assassin."

In the sea of students in front of him, Thomas could see many of them eyeing each other suspiciously, particularly their enemies. On his left, he could see Bianca, who had been chosen as one of the five student leaders for the special effects project, immediately narrow her eyes at Marie Claire – who seemed oblivious to her nemesis' intense scrutiny.

Thomas concluded the lecture.

"This survival game has a prize – the last student standing will receive an automatic A on the next exam. Frankly, with the grades some of you have now, that should provide you with more than enough incentive to do well. A final rule is that this classroom is off-limits to those stickers – but this is the only safe place in the entire campus. Beyond those doors, your bodyguard is the only one who can protect you – so make their jobs a little easier and don't do anything idiotic. Class dismissed."

He watched his students closely as they got up from their seats. Some of them were moving cautiously, their heads turning left and right as they scanned for threats, while others, like Marie Claire, were walking towards the exit as if it were just any other day. But, for Marie Claire, today wasn't just any other day...

...and it was all thanks to Thomas' secret meeting yesterday with Marie Claire's best friend, Addison Sinclair.

* * *

(End of Chapter Forty-Nine.) (19/08/17.)

* * *

 **01\. Canon compliance:**

The quests that took place in this chapter were Plot Twists (L18); Cause and FX (Day 01 of 06); and Caught Off-Guard (Day 01 of 03).

* * *

 **02\. A tiny request:**

Thank you for reading my fanfic! :D If you've read this far, I hope you'll consider taking an extra minute to leave a review for Chapter Forty-Nine ("Red Sticker")? :D Reviews really mean a lot to me as a fanfiction writer because I get to hear your thoughts on something I worked really hard on ^_^ Even if it's the year 2075 or something, I would love to hear your thoughts on this chapter! :D

* * *

 **03\. Two interesting HWU things:**

One, the HWU online television series! :D Did you know that a fellow HWU fan, Zoe (her username on Tumblr is "dizzyclueless"), is diligently working on HWU: The Series? It's a fan-made online television series based on Thomas Hunt and other characters from Hollywood U! ^_^ (At the moment, I'm just a very enthusiastic supporter... but I would LOVE to be involved in HWU: The Series someday! :D) You can find out more about this AMAZING television project on Tumblr (their official Tumblr blog is "hwutheseries"). I just LOVE how Pixelberry and Hollywood U have inspired SO many of us fans! ^_^

And two, my second HWU fanfic! :D If you're interested in reading Marie Claire's perspective of this chapter (Chapter Forty-Nine), then I encourage you to read "NYTMC 2: Marie Claire's Interlude" ^_^ Here's the summary: _"(Part two of the NYTMC series.) (Midquel.) How did Marie Claire Hart fall in love with her most dashing, yet most cantankerous, professor? A retelling of my MC/Hunt fanfic "NYTMC 1: Not Your Typical Meet-Cute" from Marie Claire's perspective, in 100-word drabbles."_


	50. Day 37 (T): Soap Opera (Level 18)

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Hollywood U. This amazing game belongs to Pixelberry! :)**

* * *

 **My responses to your reviews:**

211\. (20/08/17) hp and stargirl: I choose to see them as friends :D though I can see how the dialogue could be interpreted romantically as well :)

210\. (20/08/17) Pikapika: Remember Fear 101? :P Thomas is quite crafty when it comes to making plans... XD

209\. (20/08/17) Jemmie: You're right; something about the bodyguard project WILL surprise Thomas... but you'll have to wait until Chapter Fifty-One to find out what it is! :P

208\. (13/08/17) hp and stargirl: Hee hee! :P Your first guess is, sadly, incorrect :) The line was "idiots who could barely budget their way out of a paper bag," and while Marie Claire has shown poor budgeting skills (Clash at Sunset) in the past, she has improved since then and has great budgeting skills (Orchid Theater) today :P And unfortunately, your second guess (about Mischief's adorable human traits actually being Marie Claire's adorable human traits) is also incorrect... but you're on the right path with that second guess! ^_^

* * *

 **Chapter Fifty: Day 37 (Tuesday) – Soap Opera (Level 18)**

* * *

 _Sunday afternoon (Day 35):_

 _In the solemn quiet of his office, Thomas was lost to the world, his attention wholly taken up by the lecture he was preparing to introduce the bodyguard project to his class the new day. Left to their own devices, his students would choose to partner with their friends, and while that was acceptable in most projects, the bodyguard project needed unfamiliar students to work together in order to replicate real-life bodyguard-client relationships._

 _A timid knock echoed lightly through the room. The sides of his mouth curled up in an uncharacteristic smile as Thomas set down his pen but kept himself facing forward, instead slowly taking his gaze from his notes as he looked at the wooden door out of the corners of his eyes._

" _Enter."_

 _His voice, loud and deep, beckoned inside one of his freshman students, Addison Sinclair. Unused to being summoned to her professor's office, the heavy door creaked as she pushed it open, the ensuing noise sounding like a tortured groan, and Thomas was instantly transported to his Fear 101 lesson when he had opened the door to the mansion and scared them out of their wits. From Addison's sudden displeased frown at the doorway, she looked like she, too, recalled that unsettling moment in time._

 _Good._

 _Thomas knew she wasn't in trouble, and Addison, having read his e-mail, must have known as well, but students were rarely summoned by their professors to be given good news. His cryptic e-mail had only informed her that Thomas had a important task for her – but didn't tell her what it was._

 _Taking a deep breath to fill her lungs with air, her eyes darting back and forth like a wary feline in unfamiliar territory, Addison scanned the imposing walls; the wooden shelf whose contents belonged to Thomas; the window that showed the glowing, orange light of a bright sun slowly, but surely, surrendering to darkness. When Addison finally reach his desk, Thomas gestured with his right arm that she ought to take a seat, and she sank down into the chair provided for her, fidgeting slightly as she looked at him expectantly._

 _Thomas studied the fashionista student in front of him, who was taking another very deep breath. The last time he and Addison had been in each other's close proximity was during Marie Claire's hearing four days ago – if one didn't count Valentine's Day, when her appearance on the rooftop had interrupted Marie Claire and Ethan's conversation about the Silver Circle. Because of Addison's past with Brian, and the Silver Circle's aversion to notoriety, he doubted she was one of them._

 _But Thomas knew better than to make assumptions. Resisting the urge to glance behind him, he instead spoke to Addison, greeting her politely and asking her about her project schedule for Monday and Tuesday._

 _His student, halting at first, but with growing confidence once she realized that she truly wasn't called to be reprimanded in some way, confirmed what Thomas had already known – all the fashionista students had been granted special leave to work on a major-specific project that required students from all year levels. While they would not be penalized for their absences from their normal, the burden was upon them to get notes from their classmates and make sure that they were caught up on the work involved, which would not be overly difficult – but it_ would _be inconvenient._

 _From the resigned face Addison was making, she clearly thought the same._

" _...Why do you ask, Professor?" she inquired after she finished her short explanation._

" _Tomorrow, while you and the other fashionista students are working off-campus, I will begin the bodyguard unit for this semester. While you are exempted from attending class, the exam that will follow is another story."_

 _She frowned, but nodded. That was something she had already been aware of._

" _The goal of the bodyguard project is to acquaint students with the importance of trust in bodyguard-client relationships, as well as to prepare students for real-life dangers in the entertainment industry. Starting tomorrow, my freshman students will be on-guard at all times, fearing for their lives – but there would be no fear if their lives are never in danger. That is where you come in. I need to you be an assassin..."_

 _Addison's jaw dropped. As Thomas slowly opened his desk drawer and reached inside with his hand, his fashionista student leapt out of her chair, holding her hands in front of her, palms out, as she stared at him with wide, panicked eyes._

" _Professor, I can't kill anybody! I've never even fired a gun! Well, except for the paintball guns we used at Zoe's bridal shower! And I was horrible at that!"_

 _Raising his eyebrow, Thomas placed something on the desk and finished his sentence._

" _...because according to the rules, if an assassin manages to place a red sticker on their target – in your case, that would be Marie Claire – then that student is out. In return, the successful assassin will receive an A on their next exam."_

 _After staring at the batch of innocent red stickers on the desk, Addison dropped back into her chair in unmistakable relief, taking a long, deep breath before slowly letting it out._

" _...Oh."_

 _She brightened, clearly liking the idea of instantly receiving a high grade, especially from a professor as strict as Thomas – but her eyebrows furrowed unhappily as a thought occurred to her._

" _Wait... if I manage to, uh, kill, Marie Claire, then... won't that mean that she'll fail the assignment?"_

" _If her bodyguard fails to protect her, and if she fails to protect herself, then they would both fail due to their own lack of foresight. Marie Claire will have an assassin assigned to her, regardless of your decision. You are simply my first choice for her because of your apparent friendship."_

 _Thomas honestly thought that tidbit of information would tip the scales in the right direction – but to his surprise, the student that he assumed would be meek and pliable was slowly shaking her head._

" _I'm sorry, Professor Hunt," she said with sincere regret, "but Marie Claire's my friend, and it wouldn't feel right to try and assassinate her, even if it_ is _just with red stickers. I hope you can find somebody else," Addison finished awkwardly._

 _He shook his head in slight disgust – not at Addison, but at himself, for forgetting something vital about this particular student's history. Meek she might be, but pliable she was not. From her close friendship with Marie Claire, Thomas guessed that Addison had confided in her about her romantic past with Brian – and judging by Addison's loyalty, it looked like Marie Claire hadn't betrayed her yet._

 _Another approach, then._

" _Consider this, Addison," he remarked, leaning slightly forward. "Your friend is here to improve her skills for the entertainment industry. As a close friend of hers, the lesson she will learn from specifically_ your _involvement will teach her exactly what she needs to know – that she should always be careful. By participating in this project, you will be helping Marie Claire learn a vital lesson for her future career as a movie star."_

 _Not expecting that, Addison pursed her lips thoughtfully as she considered the situation from that angle..._

 _...and, finally nodded. "I guess that's something a friend would do. Okay, then."_

 _Pleased, Thomas slid the batch of red stickers across his desk towards her. She took them and placed them inside her purse._

" _I just hope I'm good at this," she said worriedly. "I've never betrayed anybody before – well, I mean, this is a class thing, so it isn't_ really _betrayal, but you know what I mean."_

 _He snorted. "If you ever need advice about betraying others, Marie Claire would be the very best person to ask."_

 _And after he realized what he had just said, Thomas wanted to smack himself on the head._

Idiot!

 _Unfortunately his student also noticed the oddness of his statement. "Huh?"_

" _Because," he continued smoothly, "as a movie star major, Marie Claire is surely used to analyzing and embodying different personalities and emotions in front of the camera."_

" _Oh, right... of course!" she beamed at him, proud of her friend._

 _In contrast, Thomas was proud of_ himself _for being able to think so quickly on his feet. Marie Claire wasn't the only one who was good at improvisation._

 _A few minutes later, Addison left his office... and Thomas breathed a sigh of relief. He had gone through over ten similar "fake-assassinate your classmate for an A on the next exam" conversations with several other students earlier that day, with Addison being the last one on the list. It was a relief to be able to wrap things up and finally be able to go home._

* * *

Tuesday morning (Day 37):

In the back room of the Hollywood U main lecture hall, ten minutes before Thomas' freshman class was to begin, Thomas informed Diego that he had the results for Day One of the bodyguard project.

"So, how'd they do?" asked Diego, leaning forward in anticipation. "My money's on Marie Claire surviving, of course, but how are the others?"

Wondering how Diego knew Marie Claire, but choosing not to dwell on it, Thomas opened the relevant file on his laptop and turned the screen towards Diego. "The results are... disappointing. The first one to be eliminated was a female reality television major, Rosalind Robins. Quite unusual, since her major requires her to be aware of her surroundings at all times."

"How long did she last?"

Embarrassed both for himself and for his students, there was a slight delay in Thomas' answer, but he eventually muttered, "One hour."

Honestly surprised that somebody had been eliminated _that_ soon, Diego let out a low whistle and leaned back in his seat. "One hour, huh?"

"Yes... and speaking of Marie Claire, her assigned bodyguard partner, Barry Broedier, informed me that she was able to narrowly avoid being assassinated by her best friend, Addison."

"Addison!" grinned Diego proudly. "She was the one who introduced me to Marie Claire! Didn't take her for an assassin. Did you pick her for Marie Claire?" At Thomas slight nod, Diego gave a thumbs up. "Good thinking! She wouldn't have expected Addison to be an assassin! But Marie Claire escaped anyway?"

Turning the laptop screen back to himself, Thomas accessed his web browser and opened the e-mail Barry had sent, even though he remembered clearly what it said. "According to Barry, he slapped a sticker on Addison's shoulder as they were sitting down to have brunch."

They discussed the rest of the students who had been taken out of the running. Some of them had been eliminated after putting up decent struggles – physical combat, attempts at evasion, and so forth – and those students would be graded accordingly for the sincere effort they had put into the project, short-lived as their participation had been.

And Lance, who had been the victim of the deadly red sticker because he believed that escaping an assassin wasn't worth damaging his pedicure, would also be graded accordingly.

By the time they finished their conversation, Thomas noted that it was almost time for the lecture, and he and Diego walked the short distance from the back room to the podium onstage – and, what seemed to only be moments later, they were approached by Barry.

"Marie Claire's a great partner," Barry began hesitantly. "She hasn't given me a hard time like some of our classmates have to their bodyguards – actually, she's really nice. Kind of stubborn, but also really friendly – and that's the problem."

Wanting to roll his eyes, Thomas wanted to tell Barry to hurry up and make his point, but Diego, sensing his impatience, looked questioningly at him, silently asking for permission to be the one to deal with Thomas' student, and Thomas gave him a slightly nod, appreciating the deference Diego showed him regarding one of his students, even though Diego was obviously vastly more qualified than Thomas when it came to the matter at hand.

Not noticing the wordless interaction between the professor and the professional bodyguard, Barry continued. "I'm fine with the first rule. I didn't trust anybody, even though Marie Claire did, and that's why I was able to tag Addison even after Marie Claire said that she was a friend. And the second rule, the rule about never leaving a client's side, is easy to follow, too – I slept outside Marie Claire's door last night to make sure she was safe. But the third rule..."

He gave an awkward sigh.

"Keep it professional. I know that's a really important rule... but like I said, Marie Claire's really friendly... she asks me what I like to do; how I decided to be a bodyguard... and I know that you shouldn't talk about personal stuff like that with your client. And if I start talking to her and stuff, I won't be as focused on my job... and we'll both fail this assignment."

"Some clients are like that," Diego said, nodding knowingly, "wanting to be friends... and it might feel a little strange at first, but it's not always a bad thing. You just have to keep trying your best."

A determined look settled into Barry's features. "I _am_ going to try my best... which is why I need Professor Hunt's help."

* * *

After Thomas concluded his lengthy bodyguard lecture, which had been much improved by Diego's involvement, the bodyguard started off the announcements.

"Okay, everybody," Diego said in a gruff but friendly manner, "we just have a couple of announcements to make before you guys can go. One... in under twenty-four hours, over half of you guys were already taken out by the assassins. You're really gonna have to do better next time, guys."

Most of the eliminated students wore disappointed expressions – except for one notable exception, Lance, who was admiring his nails with a pleased smile on his face. Manicures and pedicures were, apparently, more important than escaping bloodthirsty assassins.

"And number two," Thomas took over the announcements, "Barry has requested a transfer."

Everybody looked shocked... but none more so than Marie Claire.

"Barry... you don't want to be my bodyguard anymore?" she asked sadly. "Did I do something wrong? I'm sure we can talk about it..."

Her former bodyguard partner shook his head. "It's not you. Rule number three is to keep it professional at all times... and I don't think I can do that with you. We're too close, Marie Claire. I can't be a good bodyguard for you."

"But you're a _great_ bodyguard!" Marie Claire protested. "If you hadn't saved me..." she seemed to count on her fingers, "...three times, I would have been _toast!_ "

"I can't let my feelings put you in danger. Part of being a bodyguard is to assess what's in front of you. That's what we're always told to do. And my assessment tells me that saving you... means letting you go."

Turning his head away so that he wouldn't have to see Marie Claire's imploring gaze, Barry slowly got up and walked out of the lecture hall.

"And, on that _melodramatic_ note," said Thomas sardonically, "class is dismissed."

After a few moments, Rosalind put a supportive arm around Marie Claire's shoulder. "That was... so touching, Marie Claire! You should be a reality television major like me! Only true genius could make me sadder then the last Bachelor finale!"

Whatever reply Marie Claire was about to give her was cut off by Bianca, who first took the time to mock Marie Claire... and then ordered her bodyguard to take her to the coffee shop.

It was only then that Thomas noticed that Bianca had actually been sitting inside a large, decorated egg-like chamber that was inside a large wagon.

 _How did I miss that?_

Able to commiserate with his fellow bodyguard's woes, Diego asked if they give Bianca's bodyguard some extra credit for having to deal with a difficult client. Thomas would certainly give it some thought.

As expected, Marie Claire stopped by the podium onstage before she left.

"Diego, what I am going to do without Barry?"

"Don't worry, Marie Claire!" he said encouragingly. "These things happen... but it won't be so bad! I'm sure we can get you a new bodyguard!"

Thomas smirked. "Until then... you're on your own."

This would be a good lesson for her – glancing over her shoulder, looking into people's eyes, searching for threats and lies and all sorts of dangers. Even her closest friend, Addison, had been an assassin in disguise. The bodyguard project was a lesson in trust, and right now, as far as she knew, Marie Claire could trust in nobody but herself.

At Thomas' words, Marie Claire shot a worried glance at the door. "I'm not safe out there... I've never felt this paranoid... hey, wait a minute!" she said, her face lighting up. "Professor Hunt-"

" _No,_ Marie Claire, you _cannot_ sleep in this lecture hall tonight."

"Aww..."

* * *

After finding out that they were both headed in the same direction after the lecture, Thomas and Diego decided to walk together to the Admissions Office – Thomas because there was paperwork he had to collect, and Diego because that was close to where he had parked his car.

On the way there, after they talked for ten minutes about the topics that the next, and last, bodyguard lecture would cover tomorrow, they discussed what had transpired in the lecture hall.

"It's a good idea, in a way, since staying away will draw out the assassins," Diego observed, "but there's going to be a problem if Marie Claire can't hold them off. I don't know how much combat training she's had. Barry might see her attackers, but if he can't get to her in time, then..."

"...Then his client will get a red sticker, and they won't get an A for this project. But they'll learn something either way." High grades were admittedly rarely given in his classes, because Thomas had such high standards, but he always gave credit where credit was due.

As they approached the Admissions Office, Thomas heard a very loud, and very familiar, voice.

"Barry!"

The very student they had been discussing, Marie Claire, was kneeling on the ground, crouched over her bodyguard partner. "You have to get up, Barry!" she cried out, shaking him by the shoulders. "We have to get through this together!"

"I... I can't..."

And, indeed, according to the rules, he certainly couldn't. The red sticker on his chest meant that he was eliminated.

"Oh, they got him," Diego shook his head in sympathy. "He was turning out to be a pretty great bodyguard... I wonder who-"

He was interrupted by a loud, triumphant laugh.

"Playtime's over, Marie Claire!"

Crash, resplendent in his bright red fire engine jacket, had a crazed grin as he waved a batch of red stickers in his hand.

"You're mine!"

Despite that very loud, and very credible, threat, Marie Claire... actually _turned her back_ on Crash, and Thomas sighed in annoyance as Marie Claire and Barry started up their melodramatic dialogue once more.

"You can't leave me now! We promised we would get through this together! You said that rule number two was to always be by my side!"

"I broke all the rules with you, Marie Claire... but it was worth it. This was all worth it. I'm glad that I can call you... my friend..."

His voice was significantly weaker now that it had been just moments ago, despite the fact that the only injury he had sustained was a red sticker to his chest.

 _There's an actor in everybody,_ Thomas mused.

Even Barry's movements looked slow and weak as he lifted his hand and gave Marie Claire a red sticker.

"Remember... your... training..."

Marie Claire nodded, holding the red sticker close to her heart.

"I will..."

 _Will you two get ON with it?! There's an assassin a few feet behind you! This is a bodyguard project, not a soap opera project!_

Finally, after what seemed like _forever,_ Marie Claire stood up and faced Crash, shoulders squared, legs slightly apart in a fighter's stance.

Beside him, Diego gave an approving nod.

As a stunt major, Crash knew how to get attention. Normally, that was accomplished by the death-defying feats he performed – but, as Thomas found out, he must have been paying close attention to the dramatic dialogue that took place before his spectacular stunts.

"I won't blame you for giving up now." Crash was smiling as he waved his red stickers with his hand, but his narrowed eyes showed that he was deadly serious – or, at least, deadly serious in the context of a fake red sticker assassination. "You know," he taunted, "if you're tired of running."

"I _am_ tired of running," her voice had gone low, and Thomas could hear traces of the struggles Marie Claire had endured since the bodyguard project had started, "but I'm _not_ giving up."

Balling her hands into clenched fists, both thumbs out so that they wouldn't be crushed in the event of impact, Marie Claire gave him a deadly stare of her own.

"Come at me, Crash."

There was a pause... and Crash gave the widest, most boyish grin Thomas had ever seen on his face.

 _"Respect."_

After that, things happened too fast for Thomas to process.

He remembered Crash running towards Marie Claire, but somehow ending up on the ground with a red sticker on his chest only seconds later. Diego was murmuring to himself about how Marie Claire had grabbed Crash's arm and pushed her shoulder into him at precisely the right angle... but for all of Thomas' specialties, hand-to-hand combat was _not_ one of them, and he was content to listen to Diego's professional opinion that whatever Marie Claire been done... had been done very well, indeed.

After they both watched the aftermath of the grand battle – Crash gave Marie Claire a huge bear hug and enthusiastically complimented the "incredibly awesome" way she had fake-assassinated him before rushing off to tell his friends; Marie Claire helped Barry to his feet and they walked away together, speaking in low tones – Diego turned to Thomas.

"Do you know if Marie Claire has had any bodyguard training?"

Thomas considered the question. "I could be wrong, but I doubt that she has had that sort of training. From what I've seen of her on television, Marie Claire is... not physically inclined." He refrained from mentioning that his opinion was based on the fact that even simple _running_ had caused Marie Claire to fall flat on her face during the televised portion of Chance's bachelor party. "From his strong desire to protect her, my guess is that Barry taught Marie Claire some self-defense moves."

Diego nodded thoughtfully.

"Interesting."

* * *

(End of Chapter Fifty.) (02/09/17.)

* * *

 **00\. My personal comments:**

In canon, during the bodyguard project, Addison invites the main character to brunch with the intention of putting a red sticker on her, but Addison fails miserably XD I wanted to explore Addison's involvement in the context of this fanfic. Marie Claire, by stealing the trophy, betrayed Thomas... and now, Thomas is "bribing" Addison to betray Marie Claire. While this is kinda sorta iffy on a certain level ("Hey! Thomas is being a betrayal hypocrite!"), this bodyguard project is an academic exercise with no long-lasting consequences, while the same cannot be said of Marie Claire's initiation task from the Silver Circle. Not only that, but Thomas made the same "bribe" offer to several other students, so he wasn't singling Marie Claire out in particular... although Thomas' conversation with Addison _does_ have certain emotions and implications behind it that Addison herself does not comprehend.

At the end of this chapter, Diego turned to Thomas and asked about Marie Claire. This was actually Diego's way of assessing Barry's bodyguard skills. He wanted to see if Barry had been proactive enough to teach Marie Claire to protect herself, because as a professional bodyguard, Diego knows that an empowered client is a safer client. And, as an entertainment industry professional himself, Thomas knew exactly why Diego was asking that question, but, it wasn't important enough for Thomas to think too deeply about, which is why I didn't include it in the story's narration :)

* * *

 **01\. Canon compliance:**

The quests that took place in this chapter were Plot Twists (L18); Cause and FX (Day 02 of 06); and Caught Off-Guard (Day 02 of 03).

* * *

 **02\. A tiny request:**

Thank you for reading my fanfic! :D If you've read this far, I hope you'll consider taking an extra minute to leave a review for Chapter Fifty ("Soap Opera")? :D Reviews really mean a lot to me as a fanfiction writer because I get to hear your thoughts on something I worked really hard on ^_^ Even if it's the year 2075 or something, I would love to hear your thoughts on this chapter! :D

* * *

 **03\. Two interesting HWU things:**

One, the HWU online television series! :D Did you know that a fellow HWU fan, Zoe (her username on Tumblr is "dizzyclueless"), is diligently working on HWU: The Series? It's a fan-made online television series based on Thomas Hunt and other characters from Hollywood U! ^_^ (At the moment, I'm just a very enthusiastic supporter... but I would LOVE to be involved in HWU: The Series someday! :D) You can find out more about this AMAZING television project on Tumblr (their official Tumblr blog is "hwutheseries"). I just LOVE how Pixelberry and Hollywood U have inspired SO many of us fans! ^_^

And two, my second HWU fanfic! :D If you're interested in reading Marie Claire's perspective of this chapter (Chapter Fifty), then I encourage you to read "NYTMC 2: Marie Claire's Interlude" ^_^ Here's the summary: _"(Part two of the NYTMC series.) (Midquel.) How did Marie Claire Hart fall in love with her most dashing, yet most cantankerous, professor? A retelling of my MC/Hunt fanfic "NYTMC 1: Not Your Typical Meet-Cute" from Marie Claire's perspective, in 100-word drabbles."_


	51. Day 38 (W): Professional (Level 18)

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Hollywood U. This amazing game belongs to Pixelberry! :)**

* * *

 **My responses to your reviews:**

219\. (09/08/17) MiraMaria: Hee hee! :) While your specific guess ( _"...Thomas, too, knew what it was like to be in pain, and the thought of somebody he cared for..."_ ) is, sadly, incorrect... you ARE on the right track! :)

218\. (09/08/17) MiraMaria: I felt sorry for Mischief, too! :( And it looks like Thomas isn't the only telepathic person in the university... XD

217\. (09/08/17) MiraMaria: Yay, thank you! :) I was SO excited about that "Thomas shows Marie Claire the masquerade ball ticket" scene because I had that scene planned for over a year before I wrote the chapter! Thank you for noticing my effort... it means a lot! :)

216\. (09/08/17) MiraMaria: He still hadn't forgotten what she had done to him when he woke up that morning :( And that lecture was interesting to write, since I made EVERYTHING up! XD (By the way, it's great to see you again! :D and I hope your exams went well! :P)

215\. (08/08/17) CatsRtheBOSS: Ah, a very familiar face! Hello again! :) So, you are confident that you'll be the best "spot the subconscious" reader, hmm? XD I look forward to reading your results :D He was expecting the assassinations, but not the soap opera-style reactions that would follow! XD I have things planned for both NYTMC 1 and NYTMC 2, so stay tuned! :P And I'm glad that you're excited about HWU: The Series... I am, too! :D After all., who WOULDN'T be excited about a television series about Hollywood U? :D

214\. (03/08/17) Pikapika: Well, when you put it that way, Thomas DOES sound pretty heartless :( Somebody was (fake) assassinated right in front of him, and he stood by and did absolutely nothing... How cruel of him! O.o (And, I know, right? FIFTY chapters! Ahhhhh! :D)

213\. (03/08/17) RS: Glad you liked the chapter! :D And, yup, you're correct about HWU: The Series! :) It's a real television series, and the episodes will be posted on the official HWU: The Series website so that everybody can watch :D It has two goals: One, to bring HWU characters to life in the form of a television series (so we'll see Thomas, Addison, Ethan, and everybody else!); and two, to bring exposure to the Hollywood U video game so that Pixelberry will be encouraged to start working on it again :D You can find out more by contacting "dizzyclueless" or "hwutheseries" on Tumblr! :)

212\. (03/08/17) hp and stargirl: Gasp! Do I see a non-MC/Hunt shipper in my audience? You tRaiToR... O.O (Hahaha, just kidding! :P)

* * *

 **Chapter Fifty-One: Day 38 (Wednesday) – Professional (Level 18)**

* * *

Looking at the results sheet Thomas had given to him to peruse, Diego let out a low whistle. "Three days, huh?"

"Apparently. I had planned for this project to last a little longer than three days, but," Thomas rolled his eyes, "while planning everything, I hadn't taken Lance's pedicure or Bianca's coffee into account. My mistake, I'm sure."

After taking a gulp from the coffee cup in his hand, Diego put down the list and leaned forward. "I have an idea. Since the assassination part kind of ended early, how about we have some kind of practical workshop? Marie Claire and Barry had the right idea. I wouldn't mind dropping by later this week to teach the kids some self-defense techniques. Lance might even surprise us. Punching an assailant won't ruin his pedicure," he chuckled.

Thomas shook his head in amusement. "In that situation, it would be his manicure that would be in dire peril. But, a practical workshop is an excellent idea. Are you sure you have the time?"

After all, Thomas didn't want to inconvenience the man who had already taught three days' worth of classes at his request.

"Nah, it won't be any trouble. Besides, I know some of those kids, and I'd want them to know how to protect themselves, if they're willing to learn."

Diego blushed lightly at his own statement, probably thinking that Thomas would look down on him for his sentimental thoughts, but in truth, Thomas was sincerely touched. Thomas cared about his students in his own way - after all, that spark sphere had taken _forever_ to build. And seeing somebody else who cared about them, and who was willing to give up some of his free time to teach them skills that might save their lives one day, only made Thomas respect him even more. Diego was already a great bodyguard... but he was an even better man.

* * *

After a short lecture - he and Diego had agreed to keep tomorrow's practical workshop a secret so that the students wouldn't wear athletic clothing or bring useful objects, which would detract from the realism of the workshop's activities - the time came to announce the results of the bodyguard project.

"While this bodyguard project was supposed to last longer than three days," Thomas noted sarcastically, "this has taught me a valuable lesson about realistic expectations when it comes to celebrity wannabes who wouldn't last a week out in the real world. With that said," he held back a sigh, "it seems that we have a winner..."

Thrilled that his friend – or contact; Thomas wasn't entirely sure how they knew each other – had been the last student standing, Diego beamed in Marie Claire's direction and gave her a big thumbs up. "Way to go, Marie Claire! It's too bad that Barry got eliminated yesterday... but you're the last client who survived! Congratulations!"

Understanding that Diego's statement served as a signal for the end of the class, Marie Claire's friends gathered around her. Even those who had been eliminated much earlier harbored no hard feelings as they complimented her survival skills, with Rachel, in particular, saying that if they were on Survivor, Marie Claire would surely be the last person standing.

Standing off to the side, Barry smiled sadly, looking as if he regretted that the project was over. It was understandable. Because the situation normally required people to spend time in close quarters, it was not unusual for bodyguard-client professional relationships to turn into friendships between equals.

However, from the small frowns he would sometimes lapse into while looking away from Marie Claire, it was obvious to Thomas that Barry had been disappointed in his own performance during the bodyguard project.

Marie Claire, her attention divided between various classmates and well-wishers, wasn't paying as close attention to her former project partner as Thomas was, but she did notice when Barry distance himself even more from her as he started to walk slowly towards the doors of the lecture hall.

"Thanks a lot, everybody!" she grinned, "but honestly, if Barry hadn't been there, I would have been assassinated the day we got this assignment!"

 _That's true. If only Addison hadn't failed._

At the mention of his name, Barry stopped walking, but he didn't look back. Undeterred, Marie Claire continued, "So Barry really deserves most of the credit! I couldn't have asked for a better bodyguard!" After that, she waved to Barry in gratitude, but with his back turned, he couldn't see her thankful gesture.

"I couldn't have put it better myself, Marie Claire," Diego agreed. "That was exceptional bodyguard work, Barry. You'll go far with that attitude."

At the professional bodyguard's approving statement, Barry turned to look at all of them – but mostly at Diego, whose words, it seemed, Barry still couldn't bring himself to truly believe. The familiar frown resurfaced, as he cried out, **_"Wait, really? But I broke the most important rule!"_**

Not seeming to notice his own movement, he walked closer and closer to the others as his voice got louder in his self-recrimination about what he thought had been stupidity on his part. **_"Rule number three, keep it professional. I got too emotionally invested, and my feelings put Marie Claire in danger!"_**

Thomas shook his head.

How could he make his student understand that he had done nothing wrong? Yes, Barry could have been more vigilant; more prepared... but the opposition's competence didn't take away from the fact that he had done everything right. Crash had told Thomas that he had failed to assassinate Marie Claire in her dorm room because Barry had been standing guard just outside Marie Claire's door. And if Thomas' suspicions were correct, Barry had taught Marie Claire the physical combat moves she had utilized to incapacitate Crash during yesterday's overly dramatic showdown.

Barry would have been a poor bodyguard if he had maintained completely distant in the emotional sense because part of the job required him to want to protect his client. Being emotionally invested didn't mean that he was incapable of doing his job – it meant that he had even more of a reason to ensure Marie Claire's safety. Barry's protective feelings for Marie Claire had prompted him to approach Thomas and convince him to play along with the "bodyguard transfer" farce, which, in turn, had lured Crash out into the open. In essence, by inspiring him to think of such a sneaky plan – a plan which nobody had conceived of in the past – his instinct to think of Marie Claire had made Barry better at his job.

" ** _Barry, you_** **were** ** _professional. A professional gets invested. A professional cares."_**

There was an odd rush of relief that permeated Thomas' being after he gave his opinion on the matter.

While he wasn't a touchy-feely sort of professor, he knew that Barry deserved better than to feel guilty and angry about something that hadn't been his fault.

Why blame himself for something that hadn't been a mistake?

"Getting to know your client is part of the job," Diego chimed in, "because the more you can anticipate your client's actions, the better you can protect them!"

After hearing Diego's comment, Barry started to look a little happier. Thomas was slightly miffed that his student put more stock in Diego's opinion than Thomas' own, but since Diego _was_ a highly-qualified professional in Barry's chosen field, he let the tiny, petty resentment slide.

Gesturing to himself and Diego with her left arm, Marie Claire said cheerfully, "They're right, Barry! Your being emotionally meant that Crash couldn't pull off his ambush! If you hadn't been there with me, Crash would have assassinated me with those red stickers in a heartbeat!"

At that, Marie Claire directed an irritatingly self-satisfied grin in Thomas' direction, and Thomas didn't need telepathy to know that her thoughts were very likely along the lines of, _You told Crash to assassinate me, but I totally beat him! Take_ that, _Professor Hunt! Mwahahahaha!_

Crossing his arms sullenly, Thomas reluctantly gave them his final thoughts.

" ** _And Marie Claire wouldn't be giving me such a smug grin right now. Mixing friendship with business can be... complicated. But it can also make you better at what you do."_**

After picking up his laptop bag, Thomas gave the room a general nod, before turning to Diego and shaking his hand, exiting the lecture hall as he heard Diego say conspiratorially, **_"Call it rule number three point five,"_** to the students who were still hanging on to his every word.

The doors closed behind Thomas.

* * *

Something vaguely tugged at Thomas' mind as he drove home after the bodyguard lecture, but he paid it no mind as he evaluated his students' performances in his mind. While some of them had been eliminated from the project in understandable ways – their assassins had simply taken advantage of moments of vulnerability in their otherwise vigilant classmates – his other freshman students had been taken out of the mini-competition in ways that had been embarrassing to read about, let alone actually experience. If he hadn't met Lance personally, he would have found it hard to believe that there was a person in the world who would actually choose a pedicure over personal security _and_ a good project grade.

 _Between Lance's poor performance today_ and _his tendency to skip half of my classes, that's one student who_ won't _be invited to my end-of-term dinner party!_

Lance's attitude, and priorities, were very much like his girlfriend Bianca's – what kind of a moronic student fired a bodyguard for bringing her coffee with the wrong kind of vanilla flavoring? – but very different from those of their other classmates.

According to the essay that Barry had e-mailed him about half an hour after he left the lecture hall, even though she had had a difficult time at first, his project partner had still been very willing to learn self-defense moves that would help her survive the bodyguard project – although his essay had still been riddled with regrets and self-criticism.

Even after Thomas had parked his car and entered his bedroom, his mind was still on the stubborn student who, from his essay, practically asked Thomas to give him a low grade on the bodyguard project simply for getting to know his client the way he should have so that he could protect her better. Thomas didn't have any compunctions about giving students poor grades – but only if they deserved them, the way Lance, and, to a lesser extent, Bianca, did for this project. Barry, on the other hand, ought to receive a grade that rewarded his admirable execution of the bodyguard project's objectives.

 _Maybe I should write in my journal. That might clear my mind._

Picking up a pen with his right hand, he used his left hand to pick up his journal and flip it to the latest page – only to jolt up in his seat when he saw the last entry he had written.

" ** _Today was Marie Claire's hearing. The three industry professionals who spoke on her behalf were Lisa Valentine, Zoe Rodriguez, and, though it was unplanned, myself._**

" ** _Until I vouched for her at her hearing today, I had not fully realized what an impressive body of work Marie Claire has accumulated for a student of only thirty-one days. She has had experience in music, cinema, television, and the stage. If she could achieve this much in thirty days, what heights will she reach in thirty weeks? Thirty years? A lifetime?_**

" ** _In addition to giving evidence in favor of her continued enrollment, I said in her hearing that Marie Claire is a person of character. Afterwards, she told me that she would do her best to be worthy of what I said at her hearing. Despite her talent, she clearly has some problems with understanding basic concepts, because I never would have said all those things if I didn't believe in her._**

" ** _Also, in case this private journal is found after my untimely demise, burn it and scatter the ashes. I have a reputation to maintain."_**

He had written this entry on the thirteenth of February – the day of of her hearing.

He had last read this entry on the fourteenth of February – the day she had stolen his trophy.

There were bitter feelings rising up in his chest, and Thomas gritted his teeth at the very unpleasant memory of his last perusal of his journal. Familiar feelings; familiar thoughts; familiar laughter.

Because she had been loyal to her scriptwriter friend, but not to him even though he had known her for **_far longer_** than just a few days... Because the role of guide and teacher had belonged not to the Silver Circle, but to Thomas, and he had believed that she would value his contributions to her life over theirs... Because when she had told him that she would do her best to be worthy of what he had said at her hearing, Thomas had **_believed_** her.

Believed **_in_** her.

He could try to deny the faith he once had in her, but he wouldn't be able to justify that to himself in any way that he would actually believe. Thomas was completely honest whenever he wrote in his journal, and, without having to turn to previous pages, to previous entries, he knew that his other entries about this student would only support the one that was currently right in front of his eyes.

Scowling fiercely, he slammed his journal shut. He didn't need to see evidence of his utter stupidity. Maybe he should go and check if Mischief was outside. Seeing her happily eat pistachios would be better than sitting here, wallowing in-

" ** _Barry, you_** **were** ** _professional. A professional gets invested. A professional cares."_**

Somehow, just like that, his own remarks, originally directed at a _student_ who had been blaming himself for his perceived stupidity, now made _Thomas_ stop and think.

And he was starting to realize that during that night, during Valentine's Day, it had been **_easier_** to laugh at himself for his own stupidity...

...than to believe that a student he had **_invested_** in, a student he had **_cared_** about, could truly have risen so high in his esteem in thirty-one days, only to fall so low in his eyes in the twenty-four hours that followed.

Because Thomas **_had_** been invested.

If he hadn't, he would have just ignored Dean's e-mail when he said that the Clash at Sunset crew would be filming during the weekend. Instead, Thomas had gone through the trouble of visiting the university on a _Saturday_ – ostensibly to see them use the tank, but, to be honest, partly out of curiosity about how his student would perform in the role of head producer. Of course, that day _had_ ended with mass destruction, but he still wouldn't have been present in the first place if he had been completely indifferent to the student who had been placed in charge of the entire cast and crew of Clash at Sunset.

Because Thomas **_had_** cared.

If he hadn't, he would have dismissed her without a care after she came to him during the Sundance Festival, seeking his advice after Anders had swindled her out of twenty-five million dollars. It had been the first time Thomas had seen her both unhappy and angry at the same time, and that had compelled him to take her inquiry seriously. And after Thomas had given her his insight, he had stayed, just for that little while, as she came to terms with what had happened.

And on the rooftop, it had been _**easier**_ to believe in her imagined duplicity than in her... honest mistake.

After all, she said herself that she was having second thoughts about what she did to him.

 _It's just a trophy. It's not a matter of life and death. She didn't put me through that – not that she actually saw my reaction – just to point at me and laugh. She didn't do it on purpose. She wasn't gloating about what she had done._

She didn't know what the Silver Circle meant to him. She didn't know what his Best Director trophy meant to him. Stealing it from his office was distasteful, and infuriating... but it wasn't malicious. And on the rooftop, he couldn't see her from his crouched position, but she had said that she was having second thoughts about what she did to him. She hadn't needed to say that, because she was confiding in somebody who didn't seem to think she had done something terribly wrong, but she said it anyway.

That meant that she regretted her actions.

She knew that she had made a mistake.

Nobody was perfect. And this wasn't the first time she had blundered, either. She had made mistakes before. She was late to class on that first day; her director project was submitted fifteen seconds late; she had crashed a tank into private property; she had trust Anders to honor the spirit of their written contract...

...and, also, while she _was_ talented, she was honestly also capable of being an utter _idiot_ sometimes. Who _else_ would think that smiling with their _nostrils_ was a good idea?! _That_ was one more mistake to add to the list.

And he realized that just like she **_had_** made mistakes... he, Thomas, _**hadn't**_ made mistakes. Not when it came to her.

On Thomas' part, it **_hadn't_** been a mistake to become invested in her career; and it **_hadn't_** been a mistake to vouch for her at her hearing... but, if he continued on his present course, if he didn't change his mind about the masquerade ball, Thomas might make a **_grave_** mistake that he could **_never_** take back.

Reaching into his laptop bag, he drew out the ticket to the 5th Annual Los Angeles Charity Masquerade, gazing at it as he held it in his hand.

 _I planned all this, after I found she had feelings for me. I wanted to humiliate her and reject her. I wanted to make her cry._

 _But could I really play such a cruel trick on her, when all she did was make an honest mistake?_

 _Is that the kind of man I want to be?_

After taking a few more moments to look at the masquerade ball ticket, Thomas, very deliberately, placed it back in its original envelope, which he then placed at the very back of his journal. He slowly turned over his journal so that the front cover was facing up, the envelope buried under many, many pages.

He had absolutely no clue about what he would do at the masquerade ball now, since she had likely already bought her ticket, but he would cross that bridge when he came to it. And he also didn't know if he could completely forgive Marie Claire...

...but, for the sake of their professional relationship, and for his own peace of mind, Thomas was at least willing to try.

 _But, if Marie Claire_ ever _thinks that smiling with her... I don't know,_ ears, _is a good idea, I'll take it all back!_ Nostrils _are bad enough, but_ ears?! _Some things just can't be forgiven!_

* * *

(End of Chapter Fifty-One.) (09/09/17.)

* * *

 **00\. My personal comments:**

Hello! :) The bodyguard help quest was actually a late addition to my outline, due to the fact that some parts of the help quest (like on the first day, where Addison invites the main character to brunch; or the first night, where the main character goes to a concert) occur in places where Thomas would be extremely out-of-place if he were to be present. But, eventually, certain lines in the help quest REALLY won me over :D ( _"But until then... you're on your own."_ ) ( _"Barry, you_ were _professional. A professional gets invested. A professional cares."_ ) ( _"Mixing friendship with business can be... complicated. But it can also make you better at what you do."_ ) In the end, I decided that those lines were too good, and too relevant, to the plot of NYTMC 1 to be left out, which is how the bodyguard help quest made its way into this fanfic :P

And, about this chapter... Secret things in Thomas' subconscious? Check. References to past and future chapters (and quests)? Check. This chapter has it all! :D As always, I challenge you to spot the subconscious, and to recognize the references! XD

...But, I'll give you one "spot the subconscious" answer for free :D

In the last scene of Chapter Forty-Two ("The Chapter I Have Been Waiting For"), immediately after overhearing the rooftop conversation, Thomas' subconscious (the narration) refused to even use her name (I only referred to Marie Claire as "her" in the narration), because the shock went that deep and his mind was in denial, and by not using her name, he was, at least subconsciously, trying to make himself believe that she hadn't betrayed him; that "Marie Claire" wouldn't have done that. At the same time, because Marie Claire HAD done that, he couldn't even _**bear**_ to think of her name, hence referring to her as simply "her."

The same thing happens in this chapter, Chapter Fifty-One ("Professional"). The first six words of the last scene are, **_"Something vaguely tugged at Thomas' mind..."_** (This, of course, refers to, **_"Barry, you were a professional. A professional gets invested. A professional cares."_** ) And, after that line, Marie Claire's name is never mentioned in the narration of the last scene. Thomas' subconscious knew that he had invested in, and cared about, Marie Claire, and because of that, he couldn't **_bear_** to think of her name, hence simply referring to her as simply "her."

However, that changes at the very end, during the line, _**"And he also didn't know if he could completely forgive Marie Claire..."**_

For the very first time in the last scene of this chapter, his subconscious is **_able_** to use Marie Claire's name. While his conscious self is unsure if he could completely forgive her... his SUBCONSCIOUS self, by being able to use Marie Claire's name, knows that _there is a chance_ that he could forgive her; that it _isn't impossible;_ that, now, even while he is pondering her past actions, thinking of Marie Claire's name _doesn't_ bring Thomas the same pain it used to.

Not anymore.

(And that's the only "spot the subconscious" you'll get from me... it's now up to _you_ to find the rest! XD)

The next chapter, Chapter Fifty-Two, will be posted seven days from now, on September 16, 2017, Saturday, which will be **my twenty-eighth birthday!** :D (And, it will be **my second birthday** as the author of "NYTMC 1: Not Your Typical Meet-Cute!" :D) Look forward to it! ^_^ (I'll also be talking excitedly next week about the fact that NYTMC 1 has reached FIFTY CHAPTERS! I'm so thrilled about this milestone! :D)

* * *

 **01\. Canon compliance:**

The quests that took place in this chapter were Plot Twists (L18); Cause and FX (Day 03 of 06); and Caught Off-Guard (Day 03 of 03).

* * *

 **02\. A tiny request:**

Thank you for reading my fanfic! :D If you've read this far, I hope you'll consider taking an extra minute to leave a review for Chapter Fifty-One ("Professional")? :D Reviews really mean a lot to me as a fanfiction writer because I get to hear your thoughts on something I worked really hard on ^_^ Even if it's the year 2075 or something, I would love to hear your thoughts on this chapter! :D

* * *

 **03\. Two interesting HWU things:**

One, the HWU online television series! :D Did you know that a fellow HWU fan, Zoe (her username on Tumblr is "dizzyclueless"), is diligently working on HWU: The Series? It's a fan-made online television series based on Thomas Hunt and other characters from Hollywood U! ^_^ (At the moment, I'm just a very enthusiastic supporter... but I would LOVE to be involved in HWU: The Series someday! :D) You can find out more about this AMAZING television project on Tumblr (their official Tumblr blog is "hwutheseries"). I just LOVE how Pixelberry and Hollywood U have inspired SO many of us fans! ^_^

And two, my second HWU fanfic! :D If you're interested in reading Marie Claire's perspective of this chapter (Chapter Fifty-One), then I encourage you to read "NYTMC 2: Marie Claire's Interlude" ^_^ Here's the summary: _"(Part two of the NYTMC series.) (Midquel.) How did Marie Claire Hart fall in love with her most dashing, yet most cantankerous, professor? A retelling of my MC/Hunt fanfic "NYTMC 1: Not Your Typical Meet-Cute" from Marie Claire's perspective, in 100-word drabbles."_


	52. Day 39 (T): Fraternity (Level 18)

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Hollywood U. This amazing game belongs to Pixelberry! :)**

* * *

 **My responses to your reviews:**

227\. (16/09/17) MiraMaria: I'm glad you liked it! :)

226\. (16/09/17) MiraMaria: You are the second person to make that guess! :P And, sadly, it is an incorrect guess :( While Marie Claire has shown poor budgeting skills (Clash at Sunset) in the past, she has improved since then and has great budgeting skills (Orchid Theater) today :P

225\. (15/09/17) CatsRtheBOSS: **[A.]** I feel the same way about the bodyguard help quest! :) **[B.]** That's quite a while! :D **[C.]** Good thing you like slow burn, because NYTMC 1... definitely fits into that category! XD **[D.]** The impersonation scene was SO much fun to write! :D Oh, that (not-so-exciting) spark sphere chapter... :D I'm glad that NYTMC 2 gave you a new perspective on it! :) **[E. to G.]** One hundred percent canon? Wow! :D If you're armed with red stickers, prepare for a dramatic showdown with the person you use them on! :D **[H.]** Hmm, this is not the first time I've been suspected of being Thomas Hunt... I sense a pattern... :D Wow... even more than your own MC?! O.O I'm honored by your high opinion of Marie Claire! O.O And I love Mischief, too! :) **[I.]** Hmm... *reads what you said very closely* Oh, so the way they are now is perfect? Okay, then! :D Platonic, friends-only relationship it is! XD **[J.]** I find it REALLY interesting that you said that Thomas is hard to understand, and that you're much more confident in Marie Claire's feelings about Thomas, because NYTMC 1 (which is much longer than NYTMC 2) is written from Thomas' perspective. This means that I'm either doing something very wrong... or something very right... with my writing of Thomas' feelings XD (I hope it's the latter! :P) And yes, Chapter Twenty-Three ("Pegasus") was a very important chapter with regards to Marie Claire's feelings! :) I'm so glad you noticed! :D **[K.]** While he did that partly out of guilt, if you read NYTMC 1 closely (which I know you do! :D), you'll notice certain scenes where Thomas is very perceptive of her feelings :P **[L. to M.]** Hey, being excited about NYTMC 1 is totally fine! :D With my current outline, there are quests where the other freshmen (Addison, Ethan, Bianca, etc.) are involved... but not always when Thomas can see them :P **[N.]** Very high praise indeed! :D But... is Thomas even capable of giving a perfect score? O.o **[O. to Q.]** A hint? Sure! :) The final line starts with an ellipsis :D So maybe something you previously thought of fits? :) **[R.]** Yes! I liked that part was well! :) Thomas' honor compelled him to say everything that he had to say, since stopping early wouldn't have done justice to Marie Claire's incredible journey. And again, yes! :D It was VERY important to me that Thomas defend her at the hearing because he respected her, and NOT because of any romantic feelings :) **[S.]** Looks like you've scored a point in the "Spot the Subconscious" game! :D Like you said, that line perfectly sums up Thomas' relationship with Marie Claire... and he was completely oblivious to that fact XD **[T.]** Thank you so much! O.o It's an honor to hear that my writing inspires people! O.o As for other story ideas, I'm not sure if I'll write this, but I have a very amusing fanfic idea where the "you're on academic probation" scene goes VERY differently :D **[U.]** Again with your "I'm actually Thomas Hunt" suspicions? I'm telling you, stop being so suspicious and just enjoy the story of how I came to know- uh, I mean, how THOMAS came to know Marie Claire XD **[V.]** Aww! :) **[W.]** Hooray! :D And I'm looking forward to that as well! :P **[FINAL.]** I am so, so thankful that you took the time to answer my questions! O.o Thank you very, very much! :D And good luck spotting the subconscious! :P

224\. (11/09/17) Guest: Hello there! :) One of the reasons I tend to be very secretive of my outline is because it can be modified at any time. There were quests that were in my original outline that never made it into the story itself... and, conversely, there were also quests that were NEVER part of my original outline that are now IN the story! :P

223\. (10/09/17) rysaspirit: **[A.]** His forgiving her, or his trying to, will be quite significant in his interactions with her in the chapters that follow :D **[B.]** Ah, before the Fairy Kingdom Formal chapters, then! **[C.]** Aww! :) **[D.]** I really liked those chapters as well! :) **[E. to G.]** Hooray! :) **[H.]** Thank you so much! :) And you like Mischief as well? Yay! **[I.]** I remember that! I was frustrated with my OWN story's lack of romance, because I had so many THINGS I wanted to write... so I thought I would indulge myself XD But some very wise reviewers helped me realize that the romantic things I wrote didn't make sense for where the story was :) But it was a relief to write something more overtly romantic, at least for a little while! XD **[J.]** You make some really good points! Thomas was very deeply affected by Marie Claire's betrayal, even though he was trying to tell himself (at first) that it didn't matter :( As for Marie Claire, I'm glad to see that you can see hints of her own feelings! :D It's REALLY hard to show any of her feelings towards Thomas because, since he's oblivious, the narration has to be (mostly) oblivious as well XD **[K.]** I had some students play a prank with the orchestra's sheet music to justify their extraordinarily long waltz :D Did you listen to the music I mentioned in the author's notes? That was the music I was listening to (and the music they were dancing to), and the dreamy, romantic music made me feel like I was floating while I was writing! :) It was so much fun to finally let them have a REAL conversation... and while they were dancing, no less! XD **[L. to Q.]** Interesting thoughts about the ending! :) I wish I could say more, but for now, thank you very much for satisfying my curiosity! It's really cool to see things from your point-of-view! :D **[R.]** Wow... you're using such nice words to describe that chapter! :) :) And I'm so glad you noticed that line! :D It was that very line where Thomas' feelings about the hearing shifted and he was just like, "You know what? I AM going to say something!" It was a very important line in that chapter, so your pointing it out makes me really happy! :) **[S.]** Yay, yay, yay! :D You're the first person who mentioned the serving guy! This is kind of a weird thing to be excited about, but I was laughing SO MUCH when I wrote the scenes that mentioned him, so I'm really happy that you mentioned him! :D :D And, of course, Thomas' and Marie Claire's heartfelt conversation was wonderful to write, too! :) **[T.]** That's so sweet! :) I first started writing when I was about eight years old (I wrote poetry), but I grew to eventually prefer prose and novel-length work :) **[U.]** Thank you! :D **[V.]** Wow! That is one VERY high score! :D **[W.]** Yay! Glad you've seen it! :) **[FINAL.]** Thank you so, so much for answering my questions, and indulging my curiosity, and... and just caring enough to actually write all of this! O.o I wasn't sure if anybody would actually read and try to answer my questions, and the fact that you went through them and answered ALL of them is just... O.o Hearing your thoughts (and compliments, hee hee!) on various aspects of my story... I appreciate your words so, SO much! Thank you, thank you, thank you! :D :D :D

222\. (10/09/17) Guest: I... have no idea when your last birthday was :D but I'm happy that you've been reading this story for that long! Thank you so much! :)

221\. (10/09/17) RS: You're welcome :) The problem with writing a realistic story is that it often can go quite slowly! :P I remember that I used to have a scene where Thomas and Marie Claire held hands very briefly, but I deleted it because it was too romantic XD (But I definitely agree with you that I wish I could write more romantic things in the story! XD)

220\. (10/09/17) pikapika: Hahaha, you and I both had the same idea for that new technique's nickname... the smear! XD If you think I'm Thomas Hunt, who am I to contradict you? All I'll say is that I'm glad to hear that you think I'm writing myself- uh, I mean, writing HIM, in-character! :D

* * *

 **Chapter Fifty-Two: Day 39 (Thursday) – Fraternity (Level 18)**

* * *

One of the disadvantages of being a professor was that you couldn't refuse to meet with students who had a legitimate reason for wanting your time... even when said students were a group of miscreants who got into all sorts of questionable shenanigans together on a regular basis.

Ethan's rather short e-mail – for a smooth-talking agent, he was a rather succinct correspondent – only said that he and a few other students wanted to meet with him because of a matter of school policy, which he took to mean that they had some crazy scheme that they wanted to involve Thomas in.

After hearing polite, but clearly excited, knocking on his door, he raised his voice to tell them to come in... and suddenly, his office was filled with familiar, babbling freshmen students who, while accomplished in their own right, were somehow reduced to chattering with each other like geese when they converged in a group.

It was all well and good that Thomas decided last night that he would at least make an honest effort to forgive Marie Claire – but it was quite another thing to know, now, that he was inviting two members of the Silver Circle, Marie Claire and Ethan, into the private sanctum that was his office. Not only that, but they intended to influence him on a matter of school policy.

 _This could very well be another initiation task for Marie Claire... or perhaps a joint task for both of them as full-fledged members. Anything is possible._

Once Marie Claire, Ethan, Addison, Crash, and Lisa were all standing side by side in front of his desk, Thomas leveled a gaze upon the person who was, without a doubt, the ringleader of their next fiasco.

"Marie Claire," he almost sighed, "what disaster are you planning this time?"

She didn't seem even the slightest bit put off by his less-than-enthusiastic welcome.

"It's not a disaster, Professor Hunt! We have a fantastic idea for the university!"

"Is it the five of you graduating early so that I have a moderate chance of salvaging the rest of the freshman class?"

"Careful, Professor Hunt!" Marie Claire laughed. "Those are fighting words, and I'm still carrying around..." she reached into her purse and waved something at him, "...these red stickers from yesterday, so you'd better watch out!"

Thomas was about to reply, but Addison beat him to it by elbowing Marie Claire in the side.

"Marie Claire!" she hissed, and not a very quiet hiss, either, since Thomas could hear every word, "we're trying to get Professor Hunt to do us a favor! Don't threaten to assassinate him!"

Her eyes widened.

"Oh, right!" Marie Claire stuffed the red stickers back into her purse. "Sorry, Professor... I guess the bloodlust hasn't quite gone away yet..." She gave a sideways smile at Crash, who grinned back and punched a fist into his other hand.

 _"Anyway..."_ Ethan cleared his throat, trying to gain control of the situation, "Professor Hunt, we're here to request your approval for a new fraternity that we're trying to establish here at the university. I have all the official paperwork here..."

A sheaf of papers was placed on his desk.

"...and I think you'll find that everything is in order. We have many reasons for starting a fraternity, namely, to create an environment of equality and-"

"If," Thomas spoke at last, "your papers are in order, then I'm certain that I can read your charter and discern your reasons for myself."

After gesturing for them to sit on the small couch in his office, Thomas turned his attention to the paperwork they brought him.

 _Because,_ he thought sarcastically, _I didn't have enough paperwork_ already.

* * *

The official charter was impeccably written, and, from his meticulous work in the past, he could tell that most of it had been done by Ethan, though he could see traces of the others in the values that were the cornerstones of their future fraternity. The documents in front of Thomas spoke of equality and inclusivity, leisure and responsibility, friendship and camaraderie, with membership being determined by merit alone.

Thomas wasn't falling for it.

As much as he wanted to believe that his students simply wanted official permission to start a group dedicated to good values, Thomas found it very suspicious that Marie Claire and Ethan were trying to form a student group exactly one week after her only seven days after her initiation task had taken place.

 _If they're making merit the only standard which students have to meet to gain entry, their fraternity will be known as the group to join if one wanted to surround oneself with talented people, making membership more desirable..._

"You'll see, Professor," Ethan piped up from the couch, "that all of the necessary filings are there-"

Not taking his eyes off the paperwork, Thomas held up one lone finger at him, indicating that he ought to be silent.

 _...and once they have a pool of talented students within their members' grasps, the Silver Circle won't hesitate to poach them from what would have been individually-determined, well-earned careers._

 _Not on my watch._

Thomas straightened up, and seeing that he was finished reading their paperwork, his students moved to their original positions in front of him, looking like a row of excitable ducklings shifting from foot to foot. Ignoring their eager looks, he shuffled the papers carefully before sliding them across his desk to Marie Claire.

"No."

"What?!" Marie Claire squawked in surprise. "What do you mean, 'no?!'"

While Ethan, Addison, and Crash frowned in disappointment, Lisa joined Marie Claire's protest – and, while her objection to his declaration was limited to an emotional complaint – "Professor, you can't just say no!" – he was mildly impressed that she refrained from making infantile threats or stamping her foot like a child.

 _Perhaps she's learning._

"If you were listening, you would know that I can, in fact, say no, If you want to engage in repulsive debauchery and drunkenness – which are the main activities of _all_ fraternities – then that is unfortunately your prerogative, but you won't be getting my approval to do it. Now," he pointed impatiently towards the door, "get out of my office."

Predictably, Marie Claire objected, saying that the fraternity would help the university, which almost made Thomas laugh, because there was no conceivable way that another group of foolish students partying together in an otherwise useless house could help Hollywood U in any way, shape, or form... but apparently, she disagreed.

"Hollywood U has a reputation for being the best of the best – it's like we're an ivory tower, looking down on everybody else."

He wanted to comment on her audacity to include herself in her "best of the best" comment – but since Thomas had pretty much called her that at her hearing, he was glad that he had managed to recall that inconvenient fact himself, rather than have himself be unceremoniously reminded of it by his gleeful students.

"Being the elite isn't a bad thing, but elitism _is._ Our fraternity wants to teach its members acceptance and cooperation, because while Hollywood U has a reputation for being the elite, we also want people to see our humanity, our values. We're more than just our careers."

Thomas blinked. That was not what a member of the Silver Circle would say. It looked like they hadn't had time to indoctrinate her yet... which meant that maybe this was an honest venture with no insidious motives.

 _Still..._

"While you may have a point, Marie Claire, you are far too naive if you believe that a fraternity will magically transform the university from the inside out."

Before she could retort, she was elbowed in the side for the second time since entering his office – this time by Ethan. Seeming to trust that he had a plan, Marie Claire stayed silent – though she did pout as she rubbed her side with her arm.

"Professor, the thing is," Ethan said triumphantly, and Thomas imagined that this was how Ethan sounded when he was about to convince a reluctant party to agree to terms that were more in his favor than in theirs, "you _have_ to approve us."

Belatedly, he remembered the university bylaw that fully supported Ethan's statement – that after meeting certain prerequisites, the university had no choice but to approve the creation of a new fraternity or sorority. However, there was no guarantee that Ethan knew that...

"Says who? There's no rule making me."

"As a matter of fact, there is, and you know it."

...except that this was _Ethan,_ of all people – the same person Thomas had approached to test his fellow agent classmates, and the same person who remembered the university bylaw that had bought them time during Marie Claire's hearing – and it was practically a given that he would have read every single piece of literature available on Hollywood U policy before gathering everybody else for this meeting. He therefore wasn't surprised at all when Ethan quoted the section _and_ subsection in which this particular university bylaw could be found.

He shook his head in mild approval. "I should've expected you'd come prepared, Ethan."

Ethan smiled, but whatever he was about to say was interrupted by Crash making one big jump and flinging out his arms in an unbridled gesture of victory. "Ha! Ethan, one... Professor Hunt, zeeeeroooo!"

Thomas growled and narrowed his eyes at Crash – who, very alarmed, held up both of his palms in the universal gesture for peace. "I'm shutting up! I'm shutting up!"

 _Good._

Turning his attention to the other members of their group, he said, "While knowing that particular university bylaw is a point in favor of your proposal, you know that the practical, academic, and moral requirements of that same bylaw – ownership of a sufficiently large house for fraternity purposes; a minimum 3.0 GPA; and a proven interest in aiding the local community – must be met by all founding members... which I assume are the five of you?"

They nodded, and Marie Claire piped up, "No sweat, Professor Hunt! We'll have those requirements down before you can blink – you'll see!"

 _Oh, really?_

In response, Thomas stared at her flatly... and made a very deliberate blink in her direction.

And she, of all things, actually laughed merrily. "I never knew that even a _blink_ could be so sarcastic!"

... _And this meeting has gone on long enough._

After reminding them ominously that any damage to the university's reputation would result in the destruction of their dreams of creating their lofty fraternity, Thomas herded Marie Claire, Ethan, Addison, Crash, and Lisa to the door of his office, closing the door firmly after they departed with effusive thanks.

Settling back behind his desk, he shook his head.

 _Only Marie Claire would think of establishing a fraternity one week after she was almost expelled._

And, if he gave a tiny smile at his student's daring, there was nobody there to witness it – except for the stuffed, one-eyed magpie on his side table that Thomas was suddenly very, very glad that none of them had noticed.

* * *

Later that day, Thomas sent his students an e-mail summoning them to the lecture hall – and when they arrived, they looked as cheerful as... well, as students who had unlimited school funds to pay for whatever special effects their movies required. All around him, conversation was buzzing as they excitedly told each other what they had already accomplished so far, using grand hand gestures used to portray the spectacle that their movie was sure to have.

After greeting all of them, Thomas went straight to the point.

"From the childish attempts I've been seeing in this classroom to out-do each other's descriptions of your respective movies, I assume that you've been enjoying burning your way through the university's funds as if there was no tomorrow?"

One of the special effects majors, Solbert Surrime, exclaimed, "You won't believe your eyes when you see our movie, Professor Hunt! Marie Claire came up with a scene that'll blow your socks off!"

Meanwhile, a few seats away, Bianca shrugged indifferently. "I haven't really paid attention. It's just money. Whatever."

He was unimpressed with her nonchalant attitude, but it actually worked in his favor.

"That's good. Because it's gone. You are all bankrupt, effective immediately."

Suddenly, the room seemed even quieter than before, and Thomas could almost hear them thinking that they hoped they heard him wrong. Of course, one of his students was more vocal than the rest, as usual.

"Wait, what?!" gasped Marie Claire in horror. "But... our movies aren't done! What are we supposed to do if we have no more money?!"

Thomas raised an eyebrow in her group's direction. "You should have thought of the money when you were ordering... what was it? Light-reflective foam plasma, and a prototype at that?"

"But we needed that plasma!" protested Solbert. "How were we supposed to film a fake volcano without using plasma?"

Actually he could think of a few movies that managed to simulate volcano eruptions without using ridiculously expensive technology, but he didn't mention any of them.

"Well, you did film a fake volcano using plasma, which accounts for the your account balance. All of you," he waved his had carelessly at the five group leaders in the room, "blew through the allotted funds faster than I could have ever imagined."

And Thomas wasn't even joking about that part - Bianca, for example, had ordered a full-sized champagne fountain for one of her scenes - at least, he hoped that champagne fountain was for the class project itself and not just for the enjoyment of the crew - and she had only permitted extremely expensive vintages to be used. The result was, most likely, a very delicious, but essentially grossly wasteful, fountain that Thomas hardly imagined was integral to their movie's plot.

Still, Bianca didn't seem all that bothered by Thomas' news.

"No problem for **_my_** group. My dad has a ton of money. After he writes me a check-"

"To ensure the fairness of the project for all students, only school funds may be used," interrupted Thomas.

"Eeeek!" Bianca squeaked.

As the news finally sunk in, his students gave each other horrified looks before picking up their things and shuffling defeatedly towards the door. When the last student had left, Thomas shook his head.

Many film geniuses had created movies with this exact problem.

It was now time to see what his students were made of.

* * *

(End of Chapter Fifty-Two.) (16/09/17.)

* * *

 **00\. Message from the birthday girl:**

Hello, everybody! As I mentioned in the previous chapter's author's notes, today (September 16, 2017, Saturday) is my twenty-eighth birthday. Thank you for being here to celebrate with me!

I'm sitting here, and... for somebody who calls herself a writer, I'm at a loss for words.

"Thank you." "Thank you for believing in me." "Thank you for willingly spending your time reading a story that is very close to my heart." "Thank you for showing me that, even after Main Quest Fifty-Six, I am not the only person in the world who loves Hollywood U; that I am not the only one who is still waiting for it to come back, forever and always."

There are all these... THINGS... that I want to SAY, that are inside my mind and my heart because I'm so happy, and grateful, and honored, and... I want to say them in a fancy way, using complicated words the way a good writer should...

...but I _can't._

From my last birthday to this one, there has been a whole group of people, of different ages and backgrounds, who saw _something_ in my writing... and in me.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

* * *

 **01\. Canon compliance:**

The quests that took place in this chapter were Plot Twists (L18); Cause and FX (Day 04 of 06); and Freaks and Greeks (Day 01 of 04).

* * *

 **02\. A tiny request:**

Thank you for reading my fanfic! :D If you've read this far, I hope you'll consider taking an extra minute to leave a review for Chapter Fifty-Two ("Fraternity")? :D Reviews really mean a lot to me as a fanfiction writer because I get to hear your thoughts on something I worked really hard on ^_^ Even if it's the year 2075 or something, I would love to hear your thoughts on this chapter! :D

* * *

 **03\. Two interesting HWU things:**

One, the HWU online television series! :D Did you know that a fellow HWU fan, Zoe (her username on Tumblr is "dizzyclueless"), is diligently working on HWU: The Series? It's a fan-made online television series based on Thomas Hunt and other characters from Hollywood U! ^_^ (At the moment, I'm just a very enthusiastic supporter... but I would LOVE to be involved in HWU: The Series someday! :D) You can find out more about this AMAZING television project on Tumblr (their official Tumblr blog is "hwutheseries"). I just LOVE how Pixelberry and Hollywood U have inspired SO many of us fans! ^_^

And two, my second HWU fanfic! :D If you're interested in reading Marie Claire's perspective of this chapter (Chapter Fifty-Two), then I encourage you to read "NYTMC 2: Marie Claire's Interlude" ^_^ Here's the summary: _"(Part two of the NYTMC series.) (Midquel.) How did Marie Claire Hart fall in love with her most dashing, yet most cantankerous, professor? A retelling of my MC/Hunt fanfic "NYTMC 1: Not Your Typical Meet-Cute" from Marie Claire's perspective, in 100-word drabbles."_


	53. Day 40a (F): History Test 01 (Level 18)

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Hollywood U. This amazing game belongs to Pixelberry! :)**

* * *

 **My responses to your reviews:**

231\. (20/09/17) CatsRtheBOSS: The fraternity quest is called "Freaks and Greeks," and it's a really nice quest with a sweet moment at the end :) (Well, I thought it was sweet, anyway!) Marie Claire is fearless when it comes to Thomas... or at least when it comes to threatening to assassinate him with red stickers! Thomas is so good at sarcasm that he doesn't even have to say anything out loud to still be sarcastic :P That stuffed magpie has lived in Thomas' office for quite a while now... you would want it to be taken from its home? Gasp! :P

230\. (19/09/17) owleyes374: Yay! I'm happy to hear that! :)

229\. (17/09/17) RS: Thank you so much! :) I like how you think! :P I really want ALL of those things... ESPECIALLY the fourth one! :D

228\. (16/09/17) Pikapika: Ooh, yummy birthday cake! Thank you! :D That stuffed magpie is really good at not being seen by people... although Priya did see it that one time XD

* * *

 **Chapter Fifty-Three: Day 40a (Friday) – History Test 01 (Level 18)**

* * *

As he made his way to the lecture auditorium, Thomas thought about the exam he was going to issue to his students today. "History of Early Cinematography" wasn't the most exciting topic for his students, especially for those who where more kinetically-inclined, like the stunt majors, pop star majors, and action star majors, who seemed to prefer being on set, or onstage, and practicing their craft that way, rather than be stuck in a dreary lecture hall and be made to remember how filmmakers in the old days did things long before they were born.

But, for one of the students, this exam was going to be particularly important. Having checked everybody's grades after they had preposterously marched into his office and requested a fraternity, Crash was the only one of the five founding members whose grades weren't up to the required standard - but the test he was about to take could change that.

The question was - would it?

* * *

(End of Chapter Fifty-Three.) (23/09/17.)

* * *

 **00\. My personal comments:**

So, Marie Claire's group for the special effects project has run out of cash... and for the fraternity, everybody's depending on Crash! (Hey, that rhymed! XD)

I really wish I could have written a longer, better chapter... but this hasn't been the best week for me :( I'll try to do much better with the next chapter! :)

* * *

 **01\. Canon compliance:**

The quests that took place in this chapter were Plot Twists (L18); Cause and FX (Day 05 of 06); and Freaks and Greeks (Day 02 of 04).

* * *

 **02\. A tiny request:**

Thank you for reading my fanfic! :D If you've read this far, I hope you'll consider taking an extra minute to leave a review for Chapter Fifty-Three ("History Test 01")? :D Reviews really mean a lot to me as a fanfiction writer because I get to hear your thoughts on something I worked really hard on ^_^ Even if it's the year 2075 or something, I would love to hear your thoughts on this chapter! :D

* * *

 **03\. Two interesting HWU things:**

One, the HWU online television series! :D Did you know that a fellow HWU fan, Zoe (her username on Tumblr is "dizzyclueless"), is diligently working on HWU: The Series? It's a fan-made online television series based on Thomas Hunt and other characters from Hollywood U! ^_^ (At the moment, I'm just a very enthusiastic supporter... but I would LOVE to be involved in HWU: The Series someday! :D) You can find out more about this AMAZING television project on Tumblr (their official Tumblr blog is "hwutheseries"). I just LOVE how Pixelberry and Hollywood U have inspired SO many of us fans! ^_^

And two, my second HWU fanfic! :D If you're interested in reading Marie Claire's perspective of this chapter (Chapter Fifty-Three), then I encourage you to read "NYTMC 2: Marie Claire's Interlude" ^_^ Here's the summary: _"(Part two of the NYTMC series.) (Midquel.) How did Marie Claire Hart fall in love with her most dashing, yet most cantankerous, professor? A retelling of my MC/Hunt fanfic "NYTMC 1: Not Your Typical Meet-Cute" from Marie Claire's perspective, in 100-word drabbles."_


	54. Day 40b (F): History Test 02 (Level 18)

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Hollywood U. This amazing game belongs to Pixelberry! :)**

* * *

 **My responses to your reviews:**

234\. (08/10/17) Renee: Oh, are you a first-time reviewer? Hello! :)

233\. (06/10/17) pikapika: Good point... but aren't those things that he considered fun? Raising his grades may not be dangerous, but it could be scary!

232\. (03/10/17) MiraMaria: I liked writing the fight scene, so, thank you! :D Thomas was able to read Marie Claire's mind... scary... XD

* * *

 **Chapter Fifty-Four: Day 40b (Friday) – History Test 02 (Level 18)**

* * *

The students, who were currently shifting in their seats, didn't know it yet, but there were two parts to their History of Early Cinematography test. After an oral examination of in-depth topics, which they would select themselves by random draw, they would proceed to a more general written examination that covered the topic in wider breadth, that test under Priya's supervision. They gave the test in order to ensure that all Hollywood U students, no matter their specialty, received a thorough education on the background of the field of cinema... well, that, and so that he and the other professors wouldn't have to explain to anybody why one of their graduates didn't know basic cinematography history. That would just be embarrassing.

Priya had offered to handle the oral examinations so that she could get acquainted with the new batch of students, but Thomas refused, on the basis that the subject was more his specialty than hers... which was true, but in reality, he had declined because of Priya's slight unprofessionalism at Marie Claire's hearing. He didn't know what rumors may have spread, but he didn't want his students to fail their examinations because they were intimidated by a new professor's rumored harsh and unforgiving nature.

 _After all,_ thought Thomas, _if the_ are _going to fail, they should only have their own idiocy to blame._

The test in question was unusual because it was mandatory for some, but elective for others. For stunt majors, bodyguard majors, and other students, whose studies were more focused on physical movement, they were required to take the test in order to graduate with a passable knowledge of what film was and when it began.

But for movie star majors, director majors, similar students whose class projects were more deeply intertwined with a traditional film education, they would receive the same information at different intervals in their studies, and would be tested on the material at a later time. However, should they wish, they were allowed to take the test in advance... though only few took that option, preferring to delay the examination until they were forced to take it. After all, why take a test now when it could be taken tomorrow?

"Good morning," Thomas greeted his class, and they gave a slightly unenthusiastic reply in kind.

After explaining the dual nature of the test, as well as the fact that they would be taking the test in different batches this week and next week, Thomas noticed his students looking around more attentively, finally out of their pre-exam stupors to a sufficient degree to realize that there were only ten students in the room.

In order for the students to avoid feeling restless as they waited for their turn, and so that professors wouldn't succumb to boredom-induced hazes from hearing about the same material over and over again, the students taking the examinations would be separated into groups, with ten students taking the examination each day until they were all finished. However, so that the professor administering the verbal portion of the examination – in this case, Thomas – wouldn't mix up different students' answers in their mind as all the students took the test, it was decided long ago that grades would be processed the same day a student took both the oral and written examinations, and given to them a day later. It was just easier that way.

After telling them that they could go in to see him in any order they chose, Thomas retired to a small, soundproofed room backstage where the oral examinations would take place.

* * *

The first student to take the oral examination was... unusual.

Arika, aside from having hosted the Tommies, was one of those students who always attended his classes, but never contributed very much to the discussions. As he held out five pieces of paper, face down, in front of her and told her to pick one question, he thought that this first oral exam would be fairly unremarkable.

As instructed, she handed it to him, and Thomas read the the question out loud.

" _Describe Thomas Edison's contributions to early cinematography, and discuss what you believe was his most defining trait as a filmmaker."_

It was one of the easier questions. He expected a succinct answer that described Edison's collaborative methods in advancing the field of photography and cinematography, and readied his pen.

"Thomas Edison is one of the icons of American innovation," Arika said, clasping her hands together over the desk across from Thomas as she gave her response. "People say he had a lot of ideas and he was a great inventor, but the truth was he couldn't have done anything without the workers he employed at his facility."

 _That's... a strange thing to focus on..._

"His most defining trait as a filmmaker was that he patented everything under the sun. He went to the patent office to secure a patent for his plans to build a film machine. What kind of self-centered egomaniac patents plans and a brand name before they even build that thing? He must have been paranoid if he thought that he had to patent his stuff right away so that other people wouldn't steal his work! He didn't trust anybody... not even his own workers!"

What his student was saying was slightly true – but it was out of the scope of the question, and he wanted to subtly steer her away from this thread of thought and return to the main topic. "Could you-"

"Could I give specific examples of his arrogance and hardheadedness? Sure!"

Then Arika paused, counting on her fingers as if Thomas Edison's transgressions had to be declared in full in the ten minutes she had for her oral exam.

"For one thing, he gave off this air of being an incredible inventor, but behind the scenes, while his employees were working hard in the industrial warehouse he used as his workspace, he went gallivanting off to France. Not only that, but after he saw Etienne-Jules Marey's animal motion studies, Edison stole Marey's chronophotographic gun idea and ran back to the United States!"

Thomas raised an eyebrow. "Stole?"

"Fine, fine, maybe Edison didn't actually steal the idea," his student said, almost growling the inventor's name when she said it, "but he got together with one of his workers to make something that was supposedly 'inspired' by the chronophotographic gun. We both know what 'inspired' means when it comes to Thomas Edison," Arika said darkly.

 _We... do?_ Thomas thought, perplexed.

"And Edison couldn't even steal that properly, since paper film was too weak to be used over and over again for projecting pictures. So one of his workers, William Dickson, came up with celluloid filmstrips, which were much more durable, and after that, Edison, the good-for-nothing, conned George Eastman into making a ton of celluloid filmstrips so that he could have an endless supply."

 _Conned? But... George Eastman was the founder of Eastman-Kodak. He was a pioneer in his own right; he certainly wasn't conned into anything. If anything, Eastman was fortunate to be approached with a lucrative business opportunity, though nobody knew it at the time._

"But even with Dickson's filmstrips and Eastman's company, Edison was still too stupid to make an actual movie, because when he used those filmstrips, all the images went by in a blur, and he needed them to go slower so that they could actually be seen. So, again, Dickson had to bail him out, which he did by conceiving the idea of putting holes in the filmstrips – sproket holes – so that they would be processed a little slower by the machine he also came up with to use the film in."

 _This... is a very jaded view of Thomas Edison. Still, at least she knows proper film terminology._

"After that, in 1891, he presented the world's first kinetoscope prototype to the public – not that it looked like much. It was basically a standing piece of wood – like a podium – with forty feet of celluloid filmstrips inside, and a peephole outside, so that one person could watch moving pictures for sixteen seconds. Just one person at a time, probably because Edison's backstabbing self didn't have friends, so he assumed other people didn't, either."

 _Well, she described the kinetoscope accurately. She's clearly studied the course material._

"Three years later, a Canadian entrepreneur named Andrew Holland opened kinetoscope parlors and made a fortune, so, of course, Edison had to copy him. Edison set up kinetoscopes all over the country and charged people to see his sixteen-second films, which were mostly glamorous vaudeville acts, comedy skits, or carnival spectacles, thus making a living out of other people's creativity and talent. People had to bend over to use kinetoscopes because they had to look into the peephole to see the pictures, and Edison must have loved making everybody look ridiculous in public.

"In conclusion, Thomas Edison allegedly invented the kinetoscope, which was the first moving picture machine accessible to the public, stepping on the backs of other, more talented people in his rush to patent every thought in his head. I wish I could have seen the look on his greedy face when the Lumiere brothers outdid him and made a ton of money. I really don't want to talk about this degenerate anymore. May I go now, Professor Hunt?"

He nodded, and Arika walked as quickly as she could out of the room, frowning as if she expected Thomas Edison to be chasing after her from beyond the grave.

Meanwhile, Thomas was speechless.

 _What... was that!?_

He scribbled down her grade. Despite her very biased retelling, Arika had given him the facts the question required, and that earned her a passing grade. He hoped her written exam would be less... nuanced... but for now, she was Priya's student to deal with. As for him, never had Thomas met **_anybody_** with such an unparalleled hatred of Thomas Edison... and he sincerely hoped he **_never_** would again.

Hearing a knock on the door, he told the student outside to come in. Thomas had a long day of oral exams ahead of him.

* * *

(End of Chapter Fifty-Four.) (15/10/17.)

* * *

 **00\. My personal comments:**

Thank you for being patient during my two-week hiatus :) Right before I "left," I was having a difficult time on Tumblr because of a different fandom, and really needed to get away from that environment. And because I make a public post on Tumblr each time NYTMC 1 is updated, this fanfic was put on halt as well, unfortunately :( A good thing is that I've come to realize that while I do get nervous before every NYTMC 1 chapter update, there is also something very comforting about writing this fanfic, which makes me very happy that I'm back :) So... hello again! :)

About this chapter, because Crash takes a "History of Early Cinematography" test in canon, I decided to have fun with it and increase Thomas' involvement :D And while Thomas Edison DID patent his cinematographic inventions, and the names mentioned here WERE all real people involved in this history of cinematography... you should probably disregard Arika's snide comments about Thomas Edison's evil nature XD

* * *

 **01\. Canon compliance:**

The quests that took place in this chapter were Plot Twists (L18); Cause and FX (Day 05 of 06); and Freaks and Greeks (Day 02 of 04).

* * *

 **02\. A tiny request:**

Thank you for reading my fanfic! :D If you've read this far, I hope you'll consider taking an extra minute to leave a review for Chapter Fifty-Four ("History Test 02")? :D Reviews really mean a lot to me as a fanfiction writer because I get to hear your thoughts on something I worked really hard on ^_^ Even if it's the year 2075 or something, I would love to hear your thoughts on this chapter! :D

* * *

 **03\. Two interesting HWU things:**

One, the HWU online television series! :D Did you know that a fellow HWU fan, Zoe (her username on Tumblr is "dizzyclueless"), is diligently working on HWU: The Series? It's a fan-made online television series based on Thomas Hunt and other characters from Hollywood U! ^_^ (At the moment, I'm just a very enthusiastic supporter... but I would LOVE to be involved in HWU: The Series someday! :D) You can find out more about this AMAZING television project on Tumblr (their official Tumblr blog is "hwutheseries"). I just LOVE how Pixelberry and Hollywood U have inspired SO many of us fans! ^_^

And two, my second HWU fanfic! :D If you're interested in reading Marie Claire's perspective of this chapter (Chapter Fifty-Four), then I encourage you to read "NYTMC 2: Marie Claire's Interlude" ^_^ Here's the summary: _"(Part two of the NYTMC series.) (Midquel.) How did Marie Claire Hart fall in love with her most dashing, yet most cantankerous, professor? A retelling of my MC/Hunt fanfic "NYTMC 1: Not Your Typical Meet-Cute" from Marie Claire's perspective, in 100-word drabbles."_


	55. Day 40c (F): History Test 03 (Level 18)

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Hollywood U. This amazing game belongs to Pixelberry! :)**

* * *

 **My responses to your reviews:**

241\. (26/10/17) Amber: Yup, I'm continuing this fanfic! :P I'm having too much fun writing it to stop now! :)

240\. (26/10/17) CatsRtheBOSS: You went to a bird exhibit AND you saw magpies up close? :D I'm so jealous... I don't think I've ever seen a magpie in real life! Did the magpie you talked to agree to your request? :P I'm flattered by the disbelief you felt when you read that... it's like you know how much I love writing NYTMC 1! :D Many people were asking me about that quest, so I'm sure you have company in your excitement for that chapter! (Including me! XD) My hiatus was a very good thing for me personally, although I do have some regrets about it (one of which was not updating this fanfic while my hiatus was in progress). Thank you so much for your offer to talk... I really appreciate it! :) Have fun looking for Thomas' subconscious thoughts... gotta catch 'em all, right? XD

239\. (22/10/17) pikapika: Well, a prank is much more unexpected in October than it would be in April, right? :P And it sure set the mood for the special countdown, huh? XD

238\. (22/10/17) RS: I would never stop writing this fanfic because I lost interest... I think that's impossible at this point! :P I hope the relief the second part of the prank gave you outweighed the shock of the first part! :O

237\. (21/10/17) Jemmie: It's just a few weeks away now! :D

236\. (21/10/17) curlyfry6: Aww, I'm sorry to hear that! Although... not TOO sorry, since that was what I was trying to do in the first place XD I'm really happy that my fanfic has given you that kind of comfort :) I feel the same way, actually... writing this fanfic has been a very positive experience for me! :)

235\. (16/10/17) pikapika: I also thought that Thomas Edison was just the "lightbulb dude" until I started doing research for the chapter! :) Turns out that he did a lot more than I thought...

* * *

 **Chapter Fifty-Five: Day 40c (Friday) – History Test 03 (Level 18)**

* * *

After Arika hurriedly left the testing room, Thomas was wary of who might come in after her. But, to his relief, Modenne, the model student who had given Marie Claire's ill-advised smostril its name, walked into the room and sat down across from Thomas, making those very normal motions somehow seem more elegant than they should have been.

From his class, he remembered her as a fairly level-headed, professional student, and after he read the oral exam question she had chosen at random - _"_ _How did the Lumiere brothers improve upon Thomas Edison's existing cinematographic achievements?"_ \- Thomas hoped that she didn't also despise Thomas Edison like Arika did, because he had so few sensible students that he really didn't want to change his impression of this one.

"The Lumiere brothers, Auguste and Louis Lumiere, lived in Lyon, France," Modenne replied, "and because of their technical experience in their family's photography business, and because they had years of hearing of Thomas Edison's achievements, they were able to build a machine they called the _cinématographe,_ which combined the functions of two of Edison's previous inventions."

"Which were?" prompted Thomas.

"The kinetograph, which was the earliest predecessor of today's camera; and the kinetoscope, a one-person viewing machine that played the film produced by the kinetograph. However, while the Lumiere brothers had the advantage of knowing that film already existed, Edison had no such advantage when he began his work on those two machines, which partially explains the Lumiere brothers' being able to develop the cinématographe after only two years."

 _A good point._

"The cinématographe was a machine that was operated by a hand crank, so it didn't require electricity. It could be used as a camera, and one that was much smaller than Edison's cumbersome kinetograph, so it could be carried to any location where the director wanted to film, unlike Edison's machine, which was mostly confined to either his studio or other indoor areas.

"Not only that, but the cinématographe could also function as a projector, and the latter was a groundbreaking achievement because before then, watching films had strictly been an isolated event, with only one person being able to watch a short video at a time.

"But the Lumiere brothers' machine, with its projecting capabilities, transformed the cinema experience from a solitary one to one that could be shared by a group of people. Instead of using a one-person viewing device, audiences could sit in the same room and experience film together. And while they technically weren't the first people to come up with projected films, their achievement was much more widely known because they built up excitement prior to their first public viewing. Not only that, but they and Edison chose different things to film."

 _All correct facts, with none of the Edison-related hatred. If only the previous oral exam had gone this smoothly._

"What were those different things?" Thomas questioned.

"Edison preferred to film stage performers who could display their acting, dancing, and entertainment skills in the short amount of time the film had. He combined the new experience of movie-watching with the amusement that audiences felt when going to see live shows. However, the Lumiere brothers took the opposite route, and their mini-movies, which they called _actualités,_ showed normal scenes from everyday life – trains arriving at a stations; babies having lunch; and workers going home at the end of a long day. While we didn't learn exactly why they chose those things, I like to think that it was because they wanted their audiences the opportunity to see themselves in a new medium in order to let them appreciate the simplicity of their lives.

"Even though the Lumiere brothers eventually decided to stop making films, their technical and creative innovations inspired filmmakers that came after them, lighting the way to future inventions... which is very fitting, because their last name means 'light,'" Modenne finished.

 _She even formed a hypothesis based on what she's learned._

While he didn't compliment her – Thomas didn't give out compliments freely – he did give Modenne a short nod of approval, and she politely mirrored the gesture before leaving the room so that the next student could enter.

For his part, Thomas was starting to feel better about the rest of the oral examinations. Perhaps Arika was just a baffling anomaly. Surely the rest of his students could answer questions as sensibly as Modenne just had...

* * *

"Yes, yes!" squealed Dmitri, leaping from his seat and jumping around the room like he was a kangaroo using an invisible pogo stick. "I was _so_ hoping that I would get a question about Georges Méliès! The _magician,_ the _showman,_ the _genius,_ the-"

As his student went on and on, Thomas gave a silent groan as he stared at the slip of paper in his left hand, which said, _"_ _How did Georges Méliès' original profession influence his career as a filmmaker?"_ When he had seen Dmitri walk into the room after Modenne left, Thomas had known that this oral exam wouldn't be quiet, but he hadn't known that his diva student would show _this_ much enthusiasm after reading about the talented figure in cinematic history he was supposed to tell Thomas about.

Thankfully, Thomas' glare was quite effective in getting Dmitri to sit back down like a civilized human being. It couldn't fully erase his delighted expression, but Dmitri did restrain himself from a manic grin to simply a pleased smile as he started to answer.

"To answer that question, I should first talk about what Georges Méliès did before he was a filmmaker. Being a stage magician, his job was awesome! He was famous for his illusions and even had his own theater, where he did everything from designing his backdrops, conceptualizing acts, and, the best part of all, performing onstage in front of a vast crowd of awed admirers!"

At that, Dmitri happily closed his eyes and held out his arms, as if listening to the overwhelming applause of an unseen audience.

Unfortunately for him, the only member of his _actual_ audience, Thomas himself, was unimpressed with his unnecessary additions to what should have been a factual retelling of Georges Méliès' contributions. He cleared his throat once – and when that failed to prompt Dmitri to open his eyes, Thomas did so again, in greater volume, and was finally acknowledged. His student lowered his arms to the table, and, still smiling, continued.

"His first significant encounter with film was when the Lumiere brothers invited him to one of their private film screenings before their first really hyped-up public viewing. After Méliès saw what film could do, he tried to get the Lumiere brothers to sell him one of their machines... but they refused," Dmitri said sadly, as if he felt the loss of the refused purchase himself. "But, when there's a will, there's a way... and after Méliès got another machine from somebody else and reverse-engineered it, he could make his own movies... which were magical!"

 _On principle, I actually agree... but does he have to sound_ this _excited?_ Thomas grumbled to himself.

"It all started when he was making a short film when his camera's hand crank jammed. When he was finally able to fix it and he watched the footage later on, he saw something incredible! His camera had stopped filming when it malfunctioned, and started filming again when he fixed the problem, so the horse-drawn omnibus he had been filming... was suddenly a horse-drawn _hearse_ in the next frame! The omnibus had completely disappeared, like magic!"

Of course, being Dmitri, he had to accompany that with a gesture – he drew his closed fists together in front of his face before suddenly spreading his fingers wide as he moved his hand away from each other, mimicking fireworks.

"That showed him that film could be really creative, so he started inventing special effects. One of the effects he came up with was called 'split screen.' First, Méliès covered one side of the camera lens while filming an actor... and then switched things up by telling the actor to walk over to the other side while Méliès covered the other side of the camera lens. So, when he developed the film, it looked like the same actor had split into two – one on the left side, and one on the right side!"

He rose from his seat, as if to demonstrate, and while Thomas was slightly curious about how Dmitri was planning to pull off the split-screen visual effect in real life without the help of an identical twin, expediency won out, and he snappily gestured for his student to sit down and continue.

"Before Méliès, people had only watched vaudeville performances or actualites in films, but with his editing magic, he could show his film audiences things they had never seen before. One of his films shows him taking off his head and growing another one. This was made possible because he used the split screen effect to show multiple copies of his head in the same frame, and the matting effect – covering part of the camera lens so that whatever's being covered isn't shown – to hide the rest of his body. When he developed the film, it showed his heads from previous takes _and_ the table he put them on in a different take, so it looked like he had put two of his heads on a table!"

While talking, Dmitri was gesturing to his neck with his hand held up in a horizontal fashion, which he meant as a way to show Thomas which part of George Méliès' body was shown in the film he was telling Thomas about... but to Thomas, his student was smiling almost creepily at him while miming cutting off his own head.

"So, to answer the question, Georges Méliès' career as a magician inspired him to take risks as a filmmaker. He dreamed of special effects of films, and not only, that, but he actually made them happen! He was a _visionary,_ a _legend,_ a-"

"Thank you," Thomas said quickly, **_needing_** to cut off Dmitri's litany of flattering descriptions of Georges Méliès' filmmaking prowess.

As Thomas scribbled on his grading sheet, his student, sensing the end of his oral exam, stood up and gave a deep, dramatic bow in Thomas' direction, not unlike the bow he made onstage after the final performance of his diva project with Marie Claire. His gestures were always over-the-top, which only made Thomas certain that by choosing to be a diva major, Dmitri had made the most fitting choice for his future career.

At least there was a bright side with these oral exams. With Dmitri just having finished his, Thomas thought that the worst was over, and that all the rest of the students he graded today would be quiet, reasonable individuals who _weren't_ prone to over-excitement...

...but, as soon as he laid eyes on the next student, Crash Yamaguchi, Thomas knew his hopes were in vain.

* * *

(End of Chapter Fifty-Five.) (27/10/17.)

* * *

 **00\. My personal comments:**

In this chapter, there is a line that hints at something very significant to Thomas. Don't worry if you can't spot it, because a future chapter will reveal what that significant thing is! (Also... more cinematography information for you in this chapter! There's a video series on YouTube called "Crash Course Film History," which is where I got this information about the history of film! :D)

I decided to end the chapter here and not go into detail about Crash's oral exam. (After all, it'll be mentioned in a future chapter anyway.) This is the last chapter about the oral exams, so the next chapter will have less historical information... and more humor! :)

* * *

 **01\. Canon compliance:**

The quests that took place in this chapter were Plot Twists (L18); Cause and FX (Day 05 of 06); and Freaks and Greeks (Day 02 of 04).

* * *

 **02\. A tiny request:**

Thank you for reading my fanfic! :D If you've read this far, I hope you'll consider taking an extra minute to leave a review for Chapter Fifty-Five ("History Test 03")? :D Reviews really mean a lot to me as a fanfiction writer because I get to hear your thoughts on something I worked really hard on ^_^ Even if it's the year 2075 or something, I would love to hear your thoughts on this chapter! :D

* * *

 **03\. Two interesting HWU things:**

One, the HWU online television series! :D Did you know that a fellow HWU fan, Zoe (her username on Tumblr is "dizzyclueless"), is diligently working on HWU: The Series? It's a fan-made online television series based on Thomas Hunt and other characters from Hollywood U! ^_^ (At the moment, I'm just a very enthusiastic supporter... but I would LOVE to be involved in HWU: The Series someday! :D) You can find out more about this AMAZING television project on Tumblr (their official Tumblr blog is "hwutheseries"). I just LOVE how Pixelberry and Hollywood U have inspired SO many of us fans! ^_^

And two, my second HWU fanfic! :D If you're interested in reading Marie Claire's perspective of this chapter (Chapter Fifty-Five), then I encourage you to read "NYTMC 2: Marie Claire's Interlude" ^_^ Here's the summary: _"(Part two of the NYTMC series.) (Midquel.) How did Marie Claire Hart fall in love with her most dashing, yet most cantankerous, professor? A retelling of my MC/Hunt fanfic "NYTMC 1: Not Your Typical Meet-Cute" from Marie Claire's perspective, in 100-word drabbles."_


	56. Day 41a (S): Avian Musings 03 (Level 18)

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Hollywood U. This amazing game belongs to Pixelberry! :)**

* * *

 **My responses to your reviews:**

243\. (28/10/17) CatsRtheBOSS: Good eye! :D You are quite right... like the Lumiere brothers, Thomas also produced astounding films, and after he had to choose to end his career :( Thomas inspired future filmmakers, both through his movies and his teaching, lighting the way for the future of Hollywood U, its students, and the entire entertainment industry itself :D I'm glad you spotted that! :) However, I must inform you... that the significant thing I mentioned is actually something else, and it's somewhere else in that chapter :P I just LOVE that you're reading my fanfic so closely, though! :D Thank you! :D

242\. (28/10/17) pikapika: For the history test chapters, I watched videos from a video series on YouTube called "Crash Course Film History" :D They pack a lot of cool information in those short videos, and you learn a lot, so I definitely recommend watching them! :) (Also, her name is Arika Alcovo :D She first appeared in Chapter Twenty-Nine, and she hosted The Tommies in Chapter Thirty-Three :P)

* * *

 **Chapter Fifty-Six: Day 41a (Saturday) – Avian Musings 03 (Level 18)**

* * *

After her mishap with the human she tried to carry away, Mischief, being the very smart magpie that she was, told herself to not try to catch any more humans until she learned more about them. Because their very large caves were often in places where there were very few trees for Mischief to hide in, she decided to observe the beach instead. While there weren't many trees there either, the warm weather was perfect for thermals - hot pockets of air that birds like her could use to fly with minimal wing activity - and if she were in danger, she could easily fly away to safety.

Now that she had taken some time to watch humans, she knew that her first attempt in carrying off a human by clutching their head-fur in her talons, was a poor move indeed. While that tactic would have worked on a worm or a cricket, humans were much larger... and, because their head-fur grew from them, she must have caused that human pain by pulling on it. As a bird, she wouldn't have liked it if one of those large, arrogant eagles swooped down and picked her up by her shiny black feathers, so she could sympathize.

However, she learned that there were other ways to lure humans and make them follow you. Some humans had small caves where they gave food away, and other humans would sometimes stop walking and stare at the opening of the cave, as if trying to decide if they should go inside. Mischief didn't understand that - food tasted much fresher when it was freshly caught - but it showed her that these humans really needed a sensible bird like her to take care of them. Unfortunately, Mischief was only one bird, and she only had time to take care of one human... so she had to choose her human wisely.

It should have been easy to pick one, because there were so many of them on the beach, but she started noticing things about them. Some humans sat on the sand for hours and hours, while others ran on the ground and swam in the sparkling blue water. She decided that she didn't want one of the lazy humans - they were like seagulls, who simply waited for food to be given to them, rather than hunting for juicy worms and crunchy cicadas and crickets like Mischief did. She wanted her human to be fun, to be able to play games with her, so the humans who mostly sat around and did nothing were of no interest to her.

That left the humans who were running on the ground and swimming in the water. Those kinds of humans looked like they would be fun to play with, but Mischief wasn't sure she wanted one of the swimming humans. She didn't know how to swim, after all, and if those humans liked to play in the water for fun, she couldn't join them. Her wings would become heavy with water drops if she tried, and she would sink like a stone to the bottom of the sea, because magpies weren't meant to swim. If her human swam often, she couldn't play with it, and if she couldn't play with it, then why get a human pet at all?

Because she didn't want to get hurt while trying to play with her human, it would have to be one of the ones that liked to run around.

There were other things to consider, too. Some of the humans she saw had long head-fur, while others had short head-fur. Because she was fairly small compared to the humans, their head-fur could easily get in between Mischief's feathers if she tried to pet the human she chose. If her wings got tangled, she wouldn't be able to fly, and she didn't know how smart humans were. What if her human didn't know how to help Mischief get free? Long head-fur was dangerous, and she would stay away from it.

So many humans. So many things to keep in mind. How would Mischief pick one?

* * *

In the end, it turned out to be a simple decision. While she was perched on one of the small human caves, she saw a human she had never seen before in her time observing them on the beach. What caught her attention was the way the human turned its head left, and then right, as it ran slowly along the part of the beach that had less sand and more wood. Maybe it was looking around carefully so that that it could run from predators if it needed to. That was very smart of it. The human wasn't sitting motionlessly on the beach or playing in the water, so she could play with it; and it had short head fur, so Mischief could rest by sitting on its head without having to worry about being able to fly or not after she regained her energy.

And, even though Mischief was a very good bird who didn't judge other birds by their feathers... the human had dark head-fur that was the same color as Mischief's feathers. She liked that they had that in common.

Slowly, the human came to a stop in a part of the beach where he was completely alone... and Mischief had second thoughts. She had thought the human was smart... but if it was, it should have stayed with the other humans. If there was a predator in the area, it would swoop for the human because it was the only one there. It was like when Mischief was hunting for insects - if there were many insects in the area, she could take one and the others would continue living. But if there was only one insect, she would take that one and eat it, because it was the only insect there.

Maybe this wasn't the human for her after all, and Mischief turned to look for a good thermal so she could fly away, but then the human sat down and started to eat delicious-looking nuts and fruit.

Which made her stop and think. Maybe she wasn't going to choose this human...

...but she could at least get a small snack before she flew elsewhere, right?

* * *

She flew down to the human's right side, and the flutter of her wings caused the human to look at her, but, clearly thinking that she wasn't big enough to be a predator, looked away again, and gazed at the blue water in front of him which, oddly enough, didn't have any swimming humans in it. They were a little further away.

Normally, Mischief saw humans who came to the beach together, and from a distance, so it was a new experience for her to inspect a human so closely. Now that she was only a few wingspans away from him, she saw that their feathers and head-fur weren't quite the same kind of black. Mischief's feathers were a shiny black that shone under sunlight - except, of course, the white feathers on her white wing - while the human's head-fur was the color the shadow of the rock under Mischief's favorite tree when the sun was close to setting. It was a duller black than Mischief's vibrant black, but it was still good head-fur for a human to have.

As if noticing that she was looking at it, the human turned and looked at her, too. It had small patches of fur above its eyes, but no fur around its mouth like some other short head-furred humans had. Like the rest of the humans Mischief had observed, this human had no beak, so it couldn't hide insects in its mouth like Mischief did... and no wings, so it couldn't fly.

She couldn't even _imagine_ not being able to fly.

Recalling that the human was still looking at her, Mischief, not wanting to be rude, flapped her wings in a gesture of greeting, and took two small hops towards the human to show that she was friendly. Being this close to the human, she saw that its eyes were brown, like fresh morning dirt that hid a lot of scrumptious worms, and she tilted her head curiously, wondering if having eyes that color meant that it could find worms in the dirt even better than Mischief could.

Well, maybe not. After all, Mischief was _excellent_ at finding the juiciest, most flavorful worms.

Suddenly, without even being asked, the human tossed her a few pieces of the delicious things he had been eating. To be honest, Mischief had completely forgotten why she had approached the human in the first place, too curious about whether it could see through dirt, and whether its eye-fur could grow as long as its head-fur... but since it was offering her yummy things, she wouldn't be rude and refuse. Being a polite bird, she gave the human a few thankful caws before settling down to eat the small, sweet things it had given her.

They were even more delicious than Mischief thought they would be... and they made her see the human differently. Yes, maybe it wasn't the smartest human when it came to hiding from predators, since it would have been safer in a flock of humans instead of being all alone here, but it did look left and right cautiously while running. So it was at least aware enough that there was danger out there. Not completely aware, but Mischief had been a chick once. She didn't know everything right away, and maybe this human just needed somebody to teach it how to be safe.

Not only that, but it had given her yummy nuts and fruit. Many of the birds and other animals Mischief had met kept their food to themselves, but some, normally mothers with young, hunted for the family-flock and took their kill back to their nest or cave. Mischief wasn't even part of this human's family-flock, but it had still given her food. Generosity, especially to strangers, was a good thing, and while Mischief would really have to teach this human a lot of things, it seemed like it had a good heart.

Having made her decision, she hopped off the wood on the beach and flew away, wanting to get high up so that the human could lead Mischief to its cave.

* * *

If Mischief had known the way, it wouldn't have taken so much time for her to arrive. But the human had two legs and no wings, so it moved very slowly. Sometimes, Mischief had to sit on top of one of the human caves and wait for the human to catch up because it was so slow. But, eventually, they arrived... and when Mischief saw the human's cave, it was appalled.

She had seen caves on the beach, like the small ones where humans gave away food... but somehow, she had assumed that their real caves, the ones where they slept, would be... softer. Instead, this human's cave was made of the same hard stuff that the other small caves on the beach were made of, and it had little holes on the sides, so that any predator could just walk up and see whether the human was inside or not.

Giving a small sigh, she looked at the human, who hadn't noticed her yet even though she was just a couple of wingspans away from him. He was too busy paying attention to the black, glowing thing in front of him instead of doing more important things, like covering the holes in his cave, or lining the inside with twigs and grass and bits of cloth to make it softer, like Mischief's nest.

While she could scold the human - and, being her responsibility, Mischief really should - she didn't want to be too harsh with it when they had just met, so she decided to play a little game with it. After nipping its fingers, Mischief quickly hid behind the black, glowing thing, hoping that the human would understand the game and look for her.

After a few minutes of the human not searching properly for her, she did it again, thinking that it would get the hint this time and get involved in the fun game... but again, after looking around just a little bit, the human lost interest.

Mischief frowned. Was this human no fun after all?

Being a generous bird, she decided to try one more time... and this time, the human was alert! It reached out to grab what had nipped its fingers, but Mischief, full of energy from the food the human gave her, was able to quickly flap her wings from the table to the back of the chair very close to it.

The human said something to her, and while she didn't understand, she _did_ caw in reply, wanting to show it that Mischief _had_ been listening to it. After using a nice breeze to fly close to the human, Mischief decided on another test to see how smart this human was. After looking up at him and cawing, she used her beak to peck at the table, testing the human to see if it would realize that it was supposed to give her more of the yummy things it had shared with her earlier... and the human understood!

Mischief smiled a bird-smile as she ate what the human had given her. There was even more variety than last time, and while Mischief tasted one of each kind of nut and fruit, she couldn't finish it all. Still, full and happy, she approached her human - it was definitely her human now - and gave it an affectionate nip, much like how Mischief's mother used to do to comfort her when she was little and found the twigs in the nest too itchy for her chick-fluff. After giving it another soft nip with her beak, she looked up and contentedly gazed at her new pet's face.

Her very first human pet was smart, generous, playful, and trainable. She didn't know him very well yet, but she already liked him very much-

Wait, what was that shiny thing on its body?

It was longer than Mischief's beak, and parts of it were different colors, but the colors weren't important, because it was shiny... and, instead of keeping it safely hidden away, because shiny things were precious and wonderful... her pet had it out in the open, where anybody could see it, and any unscrupulous crow or raven could steal it!

What was her pet **_thinking?!_**

Mischief knew that part of life was learning things as they happened to you... but as the human's owner, she felt responsible for it, and she knew that it would be devastated if it lost such a pretty shiny thing. Maybe the human had it with it because its cave had lots of holes, so if it put the shiny thing inside, anybody could find it and steal it. By taking the trouble to keep it close, it must be a very important thing to her human... but if it wasn't careful, it would go missing one day, and her human would caw sadly as its loss... or do whatever humans did when they were sad.

Taking it upon herself to protect the shiny thing for him until the human knew enough to protect it itself, Mischief grabbed it with her beak and flew as fast as she could to a nearby tree, where she hid the shiny thing in a tall tree with nice, leafy branches. With so many leaves surrounding it, the shiny thing would be much more difficult for a mean-spirited crow or raven to spot and take... and, when the human had fixed the holes in its cave, Mischief would return the shiny thing to the human so that it could take responsibility for its belongings. Until then, the shiny thing would be under Mischief's protection.

She flew back to the human, and while it again said something it didn't understand, Mischief happily tried to tell it not to worry. She would keep its shiny thing safe until it found some good twigs and leaves to cover up the holes on the sides of its cave, so that it could take the shiny thing inside without anybody else seeing it.

Thinking that she deserved to eat more yummy things after protecting what must be her pet's most prized possession, she hopped over to his portion of nuts and fruits and started eating, occasionally looking over at her human to see if it needed her help for anything else.

And Mischief thought to herself that while her pet human had a lot to learn, she would try her best to be a good owner, and patiently teach her human everything it needed to know.

* * *

(End of Chapter Fifty-Six.) (28/10/17.)

* * *

 **00\. My personal comments:**

This is Mischief's third chapter in this fanfic, and it covers the events of Chapter Six ("Mischief"), but from her point-of-view instead of Thomas' point-of-view. I'm not a bird, so it's not that easy for me to try to think like one XD but I tried to write this chapter the way Mischief sees the world. Not only that, but as a bird, there's a lot she doesn't know about humans. She thinks beach kiosks and restaurants "give away" food because she has no concept of money; she sees color differently than we do; she thinks houses are caves and windows are holes, and so on :P

To get a better idea of the events of this chapter, I would suggest that you re-read Chapter Six :D You'll be reminded that Thomas had a very different view of that day's events... especially when it comes to his fountain pen! XD

* * *

 **01\. Canon compliance:**

The quests that took place in this chapter were Plot Twists (L18); Cause and FX (Day 06 of 06); and Freaks and Greeks (Day 03 of 04).

* * *

 **02\. A tiny request:**

Thank you for reading my fanfic! :D If you've read this far, I hope you'll consider taking an extra minute to leave a review for Chapter Fifty-Six ("Avian Musings 03")? :D Reviews really mean a lot to me as a fanfiction writer because I get to hear your thoughts on something I worked really hard on ^_^ Even if it's the year 2075 or something, I would love to hear your thoughts on this chapter! :D

* * *

 **03\. Two interesting HWU things:**

One, the HWU online television series! :D Did you know that a fellow HWU fan, Zoe (her username on Tumblr is "dizzyclueless"), is diligently working on HWU: The Series? It's a fan-made online television series based on Thomas Hunt and other characters from Hollywood U! ^_^ (At the moment, I'm just a very enthusiastic supporter... but I would LOVE to be involved in HWU: The Series someday! :D) You can find out more about this AMAZING television project on Tumblr (their official Tumblr blog is "hwutheseries"). I just LOVE how Pixelberry and Hollywood U have inspired SO many of us fans! ^_^

And two, my second HWU fanfic! :D If you're interested in reading Marie Claire's perspective of this chapter (Chapter Fifty-Six), then I encourage you to read "NYTMC 2: Marie Claire's Interlude" ^_^ Here's the summary: _"(Part two of the NYTMC series.) (Midquel.) How did Marie Claire Hart fall in love with her most dashing, yet most cantankerous, professor? A retelling of my MC/Hunt fanfic "NYTMC 1: Not Your Typical Meet-Cute" from Marie Claire's perspective, in 100-word drabbles."_


	57. Day 41b (S): Obstacle (Level 18)

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Hollywood U. This amazing game belongs to Pixelberry! :)**

* * *

 **My responses to your reviews:**

244\. (28/10/17) CatsRtheBOSS: I'm so happy that the chapter about Mischief made you laugh so much! :D Just as Thomas had his own view of their first meeting, so did Mischief! :P She was just trying to help him protect his precious and wonderful shiny thing! :O Even if he takes a vacation, Mischief has wings, so she can follow him anywhere :P I can't speak for the magpies you met, but if they're anything like Mischief, you should hide your shiny things before they try to help you, their human! :P Good luck finding the significant line! :D

* * *

 **Chapter Fifty-Seven: Day 41b (Saturday) – Obstacle (Level 18)**

* * *

Thomas missed his peaceful Saturdays.

Lately, it seemed to him that his Saturdays, which were supposed to be days when he could relax and be away from the rambunctious, overactive student body, weren't really his anymore. The previous Saturday, while devoid of students, had him taking Mischief to the veterinarian. The Saturday before that, he was forced to attend the Thomas Hunt Awards... the Saturday before that, noisy students had stumbled into his cafe chatting about naming their new shark Sharky McSharkface... and, the Saturday before _that,_ Marie Claire had crashed a tank into private property.

Come to think of it, with what he had gone through before, he was starting to think that this Saturday wasn't so bad. After all, all he had to do was make an announcement to his freshman class about the special effects project; grade the History of Cinematography exams; and attend a student film screening later in the evening. With the absence of hurt magpies, vicious sharks, and destroyed property, _this_ Saturday was practically a vacation.

However, it didn't look like his students felt the same way. From his vantage point at the podium of the main lecture auditorium, Thomas could see his students taking slow, exhausted steps to their normal seats, too weary to mumble more than curt greetings at each other before sinking into their chairs in relief. Everywhere Thomas looked, there were tired, unhappy, helpless students... with one group being a notable exception.

Marie Claire was standing next to one of her group members, a special effects major, Sorell Stevenson, and both of them looked quite relaxed... though they were frowning slightly in commiseration when they saw the bedraggled states of their fellow classmates.

 _The only reason they would look that carefree is if their project was successful... but how could they have gotten past the budget issue?_

Remembering that Marie Claire was able to gather help and resources for the Orchid Theater, Thomas wondered if she had used those same skills to procure extra funds for their project from outside sponsors, and he frowned.

 _I said that only the university's money may be used. If she did raise outside funds, it would be grounds for immediate disqualification from this project... and that has already happened to her once before. I hope she didn't do anything foolish._

As everybody settled in, Thomas called for their attention, although from the lack of noise in the lecture hall, he didn't really need to. Too tired to even respond properly, his students tilted up their heads to gaze at him blankly, looking like they dearly wished he was a warm, inviting pillow instead of a strict university professor. There was no doubt in Thomas' mind that after his short announcement, those who didn't have any other academic, professional, or social engagements would immediately head back to their dorms for a restful nap, and woe to anybody who dared disturb them before they were ready to rise.

After clearing his throat, he began. "By submitting your special effects projects, you have completed one of the biggest projects of the year. Congratulations."

He paused for their inadvertent celebratory exclamations, but there was no need. Celebration required energy, and his students simply didn't have any to spare.

"On Monday, you will be assigned a one-day class project that will be held off-campus... but for now, you may relax. To exhibit your student movies in the best possible light – and all effort towards that goal is surely necessary – the university will be hosting a film screening for your special effects projects tonight at the IMAX Megaplex downtown. Dress appropriately – you should know by now what to wear to such an event."

 _Even finding out that their films would get their own film screening barely made them react,_ Thomas thought as he watched a few students nod once in acknowledgement – although from the time they took to raise their heads once more, Thomas suspected that they had nodded off to sleep for a moment due to the lack of rest they must have experienced the night before.

Having nothing else to tell them, he dismissed his students, and he watched in amusement as they shuffled to the doors while swaying slightly. Instead of hired actors, maybe he ought to use this group of students if he needed zombies for another class about fear.

* * *

" _What_ did you teach the students while I was gone?!"

"Good morning to you as well, Priya," Thomas replied as he strode into the conference room and put down his briefcase, glancing at the test papers that were scattered all over the large table.

As today was the day after the oral and written examinations, it was time for Thomas and Priya to grade the students together, and considering that Priya was already well-acquainted, if not necessarily approving, of Thomas' teaching style, he had no idea why she would suddenly ask him such a thing. He had said at Marie Claire's hearing that he was sure Priya wouldn't question his credentials... so what was she asking him now?

In response, Priya slid a test paper in front of Thomas, and after reading the name on top, he sighed and shook his head. As Arika was the first one to finish the oral exam, it stood to reason that she was the first one to take, and probably finish, the written portion as well. And Thomas, knowing the essay questions that had been on the test, now knew what had prompted Priya's slightly irritating inquiry.

In addition to the other questions on the test, there had been two about Thomas Edison, and one had asked about the cinematic inventions that Thomas Edison had taken credit for. Thomas and Priya had assumed that the students would merely write a short paragraph on how Edison had promoted himself as the main inventor of the kinetograph despite engineer William Dixon's significant contributions. However, while Arika _had_ mentioned that, she also went on to vilify Edison for buying C. Francis Jenkins and Thomas Armat's invention, a film projector called the vitascope, and releasing it as "The Edison Vitascope."

"I don't know what to tell you, Priya," he said, handing the test back to her, which she took reluctantly. "Arika seems to... almost have a vendetta against Thomas Edison. During her oral exam, when she talked about Edison, it was as if he was responsible for everything wrong in the world."

"Strange."

After being assured that Thomas was _not_ raising up an army of Thomas Edison haters, Priya turned to the task at hand. While he perused his notes from the day before to recall what the students said so that he could grade their oral exams, Priya was focused on the written tests, sliding each corrected paper to Thomas so that he could factor in the student's oral exam grade and calculate their final combined grade.

Halfway through the papers, Priya remarked that she was hungry, which reminded Thomas of an e-mail he had been expecting. After he accessed his e-mail account, Priya asked what he was doing.

"I just remembered that the faculty banquet is tomorrow," he answered. "I'm checking the names of the students who applied for the extra credit to see who will be cooking for us tomorrow night."

"Do I know any of them?"

It was a valid question, since while Thomas would certainly know whichever students appeared on the list, the same couldn't be said for Priya, who had been on sabbatical for some time before coming back the day before Marie Claire's hearing.

To answer her question, he read the list of student names.

"Marie Claire Hart, Addison Sinclair, Ethan Blake, Bianca Stone..."

Thomas continued reading the names out loud until he finished short list in the e-mail in front of him, and, after hearing the names of the students, Priya frowned.

"Students with a history of disrespecting the rules are going to prepare the faculty banquet?"

"It's tradition, Priya."

Truth be told, Thomas wasn't happy about the faculty banquet either, but for different reasons. While his Saturdays seemed to be fraught with unpleasant happenings, his Sundays were... well, actually, unlikely things took place on his Sundays as well, but those things weren't nearly as shocking as crashed tanks, or as mortifying as the Thomas Hunt Awards.

While Priya seemed to be concerned that Marie Claire was going to be there, Thomas was more wary about Lisa Valentine taking part in the food preparation. If it were up to her, Thomas was certain that instead of food, they would be treated to a variety of colorful, but highly intoxicating, shots of various different kinds of alcohol. He only hoped that the other students would be more sensible.

"Questionable food aside, I suppose the evening won't be so bad," smiled Priya. "I haven't seen you outside the university since I've been back. It'll be nice to have dinner together, don't you think?"

At her words, Thomas tried very quickly to think of a response that was polite and non-romantic at the same time.

"While at Waldorf Manor, with the presence of the faculty, it is technically a university event."

After an uncomfortable pause in the conversation, Priya said resignedly, "Yes, of course. A university event."

And, after she gave Thomas a quick, wistful glance that he tried his best to ignore, Priya resumed correcting the cinematography tests in front of her, a small frown marring her otherwise agreeable features.

* * *

Forty-five minutes later, with only three test papers left to finish correcting, Thomas noticed that Priya was taking particularly long with the one she was working on, alternating between looking at the paper in her hand and her laptop screen. Just as when he was about to ask her if he could offer his assistance, Priya held her arm out to him, wanting him to take a look at the test himself.

Curious about which student had caused Priya to slow down from her normally efficient pace while working, Thomas took the test and immediately looked for the name – and he really shouldn't have been as surprised as he was to see the name "Crash Yamaguchi" written in the top left side of the test.

However, while Crash was an unusually exuberant student, Priya didn't know that firsthand. She likely only knew his name because of his part in the tank incident. Since Crash hadn't been a student at the time, there wasn't much that Priya could do to reprimand him for driving that tank – and even if she wished to do so, his cinematography test was certainly not an appropriate platform for any disciplinary action related to that event.

Scanning the test in front of him, Thomas saw that Crash had given thoughtful, well-written answers for each question, citing names, dates, historical information, and personal speculation to surprising effect. While Thomas spotted a small error that meant that Crash wouldn't receive a perfect, one hundred percent score on the exam, the effort he had put into his answers would likely earn him a grade in the high nineties. Not understanding why Priya had spent so much time marking what should have been a straightforward test to grade, he handed it back to her with a questioning look.

"I know he did well on the test, Thomas, but look at this."

Turning her laptop so that it would face him, Thomas saw that Priya had been consulting Crash's academic record. Since his enrollment on the fourth of February, which was almost three weeks ago, he had attended classes for the newly-established stunt program, as well as the general film education lectures that were mandatory for all Hollywood U freshmen. In that time, he and his classmates had been assigned quizzes and short tests – and that was where Thomas saw the problem.

Without fail, Crash had managed to receive very low marks on each quiz and test, only scoring just enough to barely pass. From the way his grades appeared, Thomas guessed that Crash only studied a small portion on the class material, and that small portion happened to feature in the quizzes and tests, which meant that he could pass because of his knowledge in one specific area. The History of Cinematography test was the first major test that Crash had taken, and it was almost impossible to believe that he had managed to overcome his academic weaknesses to score a grade in the high nineties.

"I assume you know this student, Thomas," ventured Priya, sliding her laptop back so that the screen was facing her again. "Do you think it's possible that he may have cheated?"

His first instinct was to say no, for a couple of reasons. Marie Claire had collaborated with Crash on projects since her second day at Hollywood U, and with her furious reaction to Anders' underhanded tactics at the Sundance Festival, Thomas highly doubted that she would willingly work with anybody who would cheat others.

Not only that, but Thomas had a history with Crash that Priya didn't know about. After he had rejected Crash's initial university application, he had worked hard with Marie Claire to bring the stunt program to Hollywood U. Though it was never stated outright, he was likely aware that, being the first stunt major at the university, his actions were being closely watched, and knew that cheating at an exam would taint the faculty's view of the still-new stunt program.

Still, Thomas couldn't deny that Priya had very valid concerns herself.

"I'll call him in today and give him an impromptu oral exam on a different cinematography topic to assess his knowledge of the subject. Would that suffice?"

Priya agreed to his plan, and, looking more at ease, she set Crash's paper aside and turned to the remaining two tests that were yet to be graded.

* * *

Even though he had been staring at his laptop for several moments now, Thomas was still shocked.

 _How did my freshman students manage to spend_ this _much money?!_

Scrolling down, he read the summaries of what the money had been spent on. One group had purchased real meteors fragments and moon rocks from a planetarium in order to film an 'authentic' movie about a man who was trapped in space. Marie Claire's group had used extremely expensive light-reflective foam plasma to simulate flowing lava. And another group had ordered Alaskan snow in order to build an igloo. Hollywood, being the place of cinematic magic that it was, had endless ice suppliers and snow machines and CGI programs... but no, his students ordered snow!

Maybe Thomas should have made them sign some sort of contract that said they wouldn't use the money to procure stupid things... but these expensive purchases were part of the lesson he truly intended for them to learn. It was a good thing that Hollywood U graduates tended to be wildly successful – and in many cases, financially generous – or else the undergraduates would have to satisfy themselves with clay figurines, cardboard cutouts, and cameras that were old enough to be used in the silent movie era.

Opening a new tab on his web browser, he checked his e-mail again and confirmed the time that he had told Crash to come to his office. While Thomas hadn't given him a hint about what their meeting was about, so he didn't know that it was a slightly time-sensitive matter, and while Thomas was using the extra time to review documentation related to his freshman students' special effects project, it was still unseemly for Crash to be ten... no, eleven minutes late. Considering that he had to convince Thomas that he didn't cheat on his test, putting his professor in a bad mood was in no way beneficial for him.

Not only that, but because he had e-mailed Marie Claire and her friends to come in half an hour after the start of his meeting with Crash, if Crash was any more late than he already was, he would be disrupting the next meeting as well – which was about the fraternity for which Crash himself would be a founding member.

"Hey, Professor Hunt!"

Out of nowhere, Crash came barging into his office like a cheetah running at full speed, stopping only when he was a few inches away from accidentally throwing himself out the open window.

Thomas scowled. "It is customary to knock before entering a professor's office."

"Oh, yeah... about that..." His student scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "I was already running late, so I thought knocking might make me even more late. So I decided to run in!"

A couple of energetic bounds later, Crash was standing in front of his desk, though he quickly sat down on one of the available chairs. "What's this about, Professor? Need a stuntman?"

He was about to reply sarcastically to Crash... until he remembered that only a few weeks ago, he _had_ summoned Crash to his office because he needed a stuntman. However, that wasn't why he was here today.

"There are questions that are being raised about your score for the History of Cinematography test that you took yesterday. To shed light on the situation, I am assigning you an impromptu oral exam... right now."

Crash's brow crinkled in confusion. "Questions? I'll answer them, don't worry! I just got back from doing a triple-flip motorcycle stunt while dodging blanks, so I'm totally in test-taking condition!"

 _How would a triple-flip motorcycle stunt prepare him for a cinematography test?_

Choosing not to voice his question out loud, Thomas proceeded by giving Crash the question he and Priya had decided on.

"Your oral exam question is, _"What new techniques did Soviet montage introduce to the filmmaking world?"_ "

* * *

His student paused to think about the question, which was perfectly natural. However, what was not perfectly natural was the way he held his hands up in front of his face, palms facing outward, before moving them a few inches in several directions. If Thomas had to guess, he would say that Crash, whose eyes were quite wide, was organizing his thoughts semi-visually, like how Thomas would move different icons on his laptop screen so that relevant icons were close to each other. After a few moments, Crash smiled and curled his hands into fists, eager to begin answering.

"After the Russian Revolution, the Russian government wanted to make films, but there wasn't any film stock in the country... so they decided to study films that other people had made instead."

At that, Crash stood up, and, after marking the sides of a large, imaginary movie screen with his hands, he held up one fist to his nose and closed his right eye, and, together with his slightly hunched back, gave Thomas the impression of a detective with a magnifying glass.

"They analyzed the camera angles, images, and editing techniques to really understand what film was all about, and they even set up the State Institute of Cinematography so that they could keep studying. At at the university, the most famous professor there was this guy called Lev Kuleshov, who discovered something really cool. He took an actor and made him stare at the camera..."

Of course, he had to demonstrate by sitting down quite suddenly, putting his elbow on the desk, and propping up his head on his palm to stare at Thomas as if he were an image recording device.

"...and, after that, the film switched to a bowl of soup, before going back to the staring guy. When they asked the audience what they thought the guy was feeling they said he was hungry! But when they used the same footage of the staring guy and switched to a girl in a coffin, the audience said he looked sad. So they found out that when you put images or shots next to each other, you can make the audience think what you want them to think! For example, Professor, what am I thinking?"

During the whole time, Crash had been staring at Thomas blankly, mimicking the 'staring guy' he had been talking about, and while Thomas, being a professor, was used to being looked at, Crash's stare was unnervingly creepy.

"You are feeling," he replied drolly, "that you ought to stop staring at your professor like a mindless automation if you want to pass this oral exam."

"I'll talk about the next thing, then!" grinned Crash, not at all put out by Thomas' unsubtle warning.

Standing up and gesturing to Thomas desk, his student said, "What I just showed you is called the Kuleshov effect, since he was the one who figured it out. And, after that, the Russians came up with other techniques on how montage – different shots that are juxtaposed to create new meaning – could be used in different ways. For example, they thought of tonal montage, which is when you take three really unrelated shots that have the same feeling. Like, if you show a blooming flower, then a yawning baby, then a beautiful sunrise..."

To illustrate his point, Crash slowly opened one fist, which Thomas assumed was supposed to represent a flower; then yawned widely while stretching both of his arms; and, after that, he leaped to Thomas' window and gestured dramatically to it, even though it was the afternoon and there was most certainly no sunrise taking place outside at the moment.

"...then whoever's watching the film will think of new beginnings. Another thing they found out was rhythmic montage, where they used music while showing certain shots, so that the audience would connect those two things together in their heads."

Thomas nodded at his words. "Can you give an example from modern times that uses tonal montage?"

"Hmm... sure! Actually, I'll give you two examples! My first example's from a television show – in Game of Thrones, they usually play the Targaryen theme when Daenerys is doing something super cool. But they also use the same music when the dragons are doing something super scary..."

Hunching over, Crash stomped on Thomas' floor in slow motion, and, after that, curved his arms to look like dragon wings before rearing back and then leaning forward, his mouth open so wide that Thomas could see his student's tonsils, his actions perfectly reminiscent of that of a gigantic, fire-breathing dragon. Thomas himself had been a motion-capture actor who had portrayed a gigantic, fire-breathing dragon, so he felt he could judge Crash's miming skills with no small amount of credibility.

"...so you know that the dragons are one hundred percent Targaryen, and you also know that Targaryens are one hundred percent scary! Now, I'll give another example, but from a movie this time, and after that, I'll tell you about metric montage and overtonal montage..."

* * *

After Crash's verbally detailed _and_ kinesthetically detailed explanation of the different kinds of Soviet montage, and his accurate observation that the same techniques were used in movie trailers and pretty much all movies – especially action movies – Thomas was able to ascertain that Crash had, indeed, studied very hard for this particular test. He wrote Crash's combined grade on top of his test paper, and after seeing the number Thomas had just written, Crash did two energetic backflips in the direction of Thomas' office door before running outside and telling his friends – Marie Claire, Addison, Ethan, and Lisa – the news.

"Ninety-seven percent! Deal with it!"

As he broke into a short celebratory dance that mainly involved pumping his fists in the air, Thomas followed him out. "This unexpected high grade brings up his GPA to 3.01. I certainly didn't see this coming."

"I'm so happy for you, Crash!" gushed Addison, interrupting his dance to give him a hug.

Beside her, Marie Claire beamed at Crash. "I was so sure you knew everything! I told you that you did!"

"And you were totally right, Marie Claire!" exclaimed Crash happily. "I was actually pretty spooked when we got into the room, so I flipped the window open and scaled the lecture building freehand. Really helped take me to my mind palace – and I climbed that freehand, too."

 _Scaled the lecture building? Scaled it freehand, with no safety equipment? And... mind palace?_

Thomas honestly didn't know which surprised him more... although the mystery of what Crash was doing with his hands earlier was solved, he supposed.

"And that stuff really helped! All the info came back to me and the test was way easier than I thought it would be! We're gonna get this fraternity, guys!"

As Crash received high fives from all of his friends, Thomas used his statement to lead to what everybody here had come to discuss.

"According to your e-mail," he glanced at Marie Claire, "you've chosen a house for your fraternity... and, though it was by the slimmest of margins, you managed to acquire the required grades for the fraternity founders. I trust you're preparing something for the final community service requirement?"

"Yup!" said Addison cheerfully, and Thomas turned to look at her. "I'm in charge of tomorrow's event! We're calling it 'Cookies for Coats,' and it's a clothing drive for the homeless. I know that I'm a fashionista major, but clothing isn't just for the runway – I've spent all night baking cookies so that people will be encouraged to donate their old clothes!"

Clearly relieved, Lisa chimed in, "You don't know how _happy_ I am to get rid of my entire Lisa Mermaid wardrobe. All of my costumes from every single season of that show will be ready and waiting tomorrow!"

While Thomas was unsure why anybody would want to wear mermaid costumes if they weren't starring in a mermaid television show, the fabric of the costumes could still be used to make new clothes, or improve upon already existing clothing. And while Lisa's donation may be somewhat questionable, the cause that they had chosen was a very good one.

 _I wonder if they chose the homeless because they, themselves, are gaining a home in their fraternity?_

Choosing to keep that question to himself, Thomas commented, "Hm. Suitable."

Then he looked at the group of students in front of him.

 _With the exception of Crash, all of them will be cooking for us tomorrow. Priya had expressed her doubts about them... and I know that there are members of the faculty who don't see the point in establishing another fraternity at Hollywood U, so they may want to see what these students can do. Of course, failing in front of the entire faculty would send the opposite message. If nobody comes to their event, that will be solid proof that they don't have the skills to establish a fraternity and keep it running._

Looking at the confident, optimistic faces in front of him, he continued, "I trust you won't mind if I invite the _entire faculty,_ will you?"

In the face of his obvious challenge, Marie Claire looked... inexplicably cheerful.

"Not at all! We're happy to have anyone who can spare a donation!"

 _Maybe she doesn't see the risks just yet._

"Very well. But remember what I told you. Embarrass the university..." he glared at all of them, "and your charter is finished."

After that, he gave them a final warning look before going back inside his office, where he could read about his students' incredibly unnecessary purchases of expensive special effects equipment in peace.

* * *

Later that night, after the film screening for his freshman class, Thomas admitted to himself that, at least, his students had put their reckless spending to good use. He had noticed the effort put in by Marie Claire's group, whose movie's climax had a scene where gravity had been reversed. While he looked around at the students who were enjoying the film screening's lavishly catered afterparty, two people bumped into him.

Ignoring Marie Claire and Sorell's apologies, he addressed the latter. "Your special effects were impressive, Sorell. Though faced with... certain obstacles... you still managed to execute the climax in a way that fitted seamlessly with the rest of the movie. I was quite pleased."

His student looked taken aback by the praise, but recovered enough to say, "Thanks a lot, Professor Hunt! Marie Claire really deserves some of the credit, though. I know that special effects are empty if they don't have a deeper meaning behind them. It was Marie Claire's vision for the movie that gave my special effects the purpose they needed. She really inspired me to do my best so that we could make a movie we could be really proud of."

Thomas had read similar things in some of her classmates' reflective essays, which led him to wonder what it was about Marie Claire that inspired the people she collaborated with. But since the only way to find out for sure was to work on a project, or performance, with her himself, which Thomas most certainly had no intention of doing, he put the thought aside to give Marie Claire a half-scowl.

"Hrm. Seems you two made quite a team."

"I won't say it was the easiest project," Marie Claire said, smiling, "but we worked to get through it together."

"I just wish we had known in advance that the university was going to run out of money. Things would have gone more smoothly if we had planned for that in advance." Sorell's grumbling was sincere, but also good-natured.

 _Sorell still thinks that the university actually ran out of money for their projects?_

Laughing at his student's naivete, Thomas shook his head and started to walk away, but stopped when he heard what Marie Claire said next.

"Wait a second... the afterparty... the caterers... the free drinks... The university didn't really run out of money, did it? You pulled our funding on purpose so that you could see how we'd handle running out of money for our movie!"

 _Well, at least_ somebody _figured it out._

"It took you long enough to arrive at that accurate conclusion, but at least you did in the end."

After hearing Sorell ask why he had chosen to do that, Thomas explained.

* * *

"Let me tell you a story. When he was twenty-six years old, Steven Spielberg was given a nine million-dollar movie to make a shark movie... and he poured half the budget into a mechanical shark that kept breaking down. When he finally had to accept that it wouldn't work, he rewrote the movie to hardly show the shark at all. Using a system of ropes and pulleys, he dragged actors down into the water, down into the unknown. And even with those constraints, Jaws ended up being one of the most classic movies of all time."

That was part of the reason why Thomas rewatched Jaws several times a year. There was more to a movie than merely the finished creation. Having been a director himself in the past, Thomas knew what it was like to have to work within a certain budget, and being reminded by one of the most classic movies of all time that talent and ingenuity were more important than an unlimited budget didn't hurt.

" **You see, imagination is about freedom, yes... but sometimes, it's the obstacles that make creativity** ** _truly_** **flourish.** ** _That's_** **the real sign of imagination. It's the challenges that make the star."**

After Thomas' short speech, Sorell nodded to himself thoughtfully, taking in what he had said, but Marie Claire had the more interesting reaction. Her eyes looked to the left and to the right and to the left again, almost as if she were thinking about many things and had very little time to do so...

...and then she was frowning at him, eyebrows bunched together, lips tightly pressed, eyes glaring at him in bitterness... and, unless he was imagining it, slight disappointment.

" **So is that how you see yourself, Professor? As the challenge? The obstacle that makes us who we are?"**

Thomas was slightly taken aback at her sudden hostile reaction, the angry glare looking unnatural on his normally enthusiastic student. In all the time she had been teaching her, Marie Claire hadn't been that angry with him since… well, actually, with all the the time they had inevitably spent together as student and professor, from their previous conversation about the new fraternity; to the bodyguard project three days ago; to her hearing one week ago... he went over the events of the last few weeks in his mind, and came to the realization that the last time that Marie Claire had truly looked at him as if he were the enemy had been her very first day of class.

It wasn't important. If Thomas had a magpie for each disappointed groan and heated glare that had been sent his way by his students over the years, he would have many more fountain pen-stealing pets than just Mischief. One more student's ire was nothing to Thomas. It wasn't important.

" **Maybe. Or maybe I just have zero tolerance for garbage. Good night to you both."**

He marched off, ignoring Marie Claire's murmured, "Good night, Professor," as he walked away.

* * *

(End of Chapter Fifty-Seven.) (04/11/17.)

* * *

 **01\. Canon compliance:**

The quests that took place in this chapter were Plot Twists (L18); Cause and FX (Day 06 of 06); and Freaks and Greeks (Day 03 of 04).

* * *

 **02\. A tiny request:**

Thank you for reading my fanfic! :D If you've read this far, I hope you'll consider taking an extra minute to leave a review for Chapter Fifty-Seven ("Obstacle")? :D Reviews really mean a lot to me as a fanfiction writer because I get to hear your thoughts on something I worked really hard on ^_^ Even if it's the year 2075 or something, I would love to hear your thoughts on this chapter! :D

* * *

 **03\. Two interesting HWU things:**

One, the HWU online television series! :D Did you know that a fellow HWU fan, Zoe (her username on Tumblr is "dizzyclueless"), is diligently working on HWU: The Series? It's a fan-made online television series based on Thomas Hunt and other characters from Hollywood U! ^_^ (At the moment, I'm just a very enthusiastic supporter... but I would LOVE to be involved in HWU: The Series someday! :D) You can find out more about this AMAZING television project on Tumblr (their official Tumblr blog is "hwutheseries"). I just LOVE how Pixelberry and Hollywood U have inspired SO many of us fans! ^_^

And two, my second HWU fanfic! :D If you're interested in reading Marie Claire's perspective of this chapter (Chapter Fifty-Seven), then I encourage you to read "NYTMC 2: Marie Claire's Interlude" ^_^ Here's the summary: _"(Part two of the NYTMC series.) (Midquel.) How did Marie Claire Hart fall in love with her most dashing, yet most cantankerous, professor? A retelling of my MC/Hunt fanfic "NYTMC 1: Not Your Typical Meet-Cute" from Marie Claire's perspective, in 100-word drabbles."_


	58. Day 42a (S): Growing Faith 01 (Level 18)

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Hollywood U. This amazing game belongs to Pixelberry! :)**

* * *

 **My responses to your reviews:**

246\. (11/11/17) Guest: Yay, I'm really glad to hear that! :) About why Marie Claire was hostile, that's a great question! :D The short answer is that she was angry because, from that conversation it sounded to her that Thomas didn't care about his students after all. And you can check out the author's notes of the next chapter for the (VERY) long answer! :P

245\. (05/11/17) CatsRtheBOSS: Some of my chapters have a tendency to teach my readers things, though you have to check the author's knows to make sure the things you're learning are real! XD Unfortunately, at the moment, Priya does seem to be focused on her past relationship with Thomas O.o (Then again, so is Marie Claire... :P) I know what you mean! Even if the developments in their relationship aren't necessarily romantic, they're getting still getting closer, little by little, and it's really nice to see! :) And I will totally keep on writing! :D (Don't forget to write your fanfics as well! :P)

* * *

 **Chapter Fifty-Eight: Day 42a (Sunday) – Growing Faith 01 (Level 18)**

* * *

It was fortunate that Thomas' students checked their e-mail accounts and social media accounts on a regular basis, because when he only gave his freshman class a few hours' notice to go to the main auditorium for a lecture about special effects on a Sunday morning, all them them showed up. They were disgruntled and a bit sleepy, but there were there, which was a good thing because after the way they had spent their money on their special effects projects, there were things they needed to know.

While their projects had had unlimited funding – or at least, they did before Thomas pulled the plug – and while the money had almost been worth it after he saw what his students were truly capable of doing, he was slightly concerned that they might think that running out of funding was an unusual circumstance; a contrivance on their professor's part that would never occur in reality.

After greeting his students, he began at once.

"Regarding your special effects projects, I was very impressed."

At that, students were suddenly sitting up straight, blinking fiercely to chase the sandman's dust from their eyes, likely wondering if they were still dreaming, because Thomas, of all people, was giving them a high compliment. He almost hated to burst their bubble... well, that wasn't true. Actually, he didn't mind at all.

"Regarding your special effects projects, I was very impressed that you had managed to make such appalling budgeting decisions. From the reports you submitted to me before your film screening last night, I know that not even one of you had prepared any contingency plans before they became necessary."

Sheepish looks were exchanged.

"Knowing that, today's lecture will be about the high financial cost of special effects, so that in the event that somebody actually hires you after you graduate, you will have some idea of how much money and work goes into special effects-heavy motion pictures.

"From your budget reports, I read that your groups concentrated on expensive materials that would look visually impressive, meaning that you did minimal work in terms of individual details of the shots themselves. However, in the movie industry, special effects calls for an attention to detail that most of you reserve for your Twitter accounts – because even to create a realistic, three-dimensional character using, for example, CGI can require thousands of hours of work.

"These days, Hollywood seems to think that robots and car chases and explosions make _wonderful_ movies," he said sarcastically, "and so, I will walk you through the process of inserting a robot character in a movie. The first step is called 'rigging' – it is the creation of a skeleton of a three-dimensional character model. Just as in the human body, one bone is linked to another, a special effects team uses the same principle to create a character on a fundamental level – parts are linked in ways that allow the robot to move in a way that is considered natural for the audience. A robot's anatomy is adjusted so that each small piece contributes to its movement, which can be anything from speaking and running to minute actions such as forming facial expressions.

"The next step is 'motion capture,' which the motion capture students in this class ought to know about, or else I would strongly advise them to find another major, or, better yet, another university. A human wears a suit that is linked to software that control's the robot's actions, allowing the team to see if the rigging needs more detail, and giving the audience the familiarity of human-like movement and expressions with the novelty of a non-human appearance – if robots can even be considered a novelty at this point. The motion capture actor then acts out each and every motion of the robot's character, making adjustements to their own movements to compensate for the differences in height, reach, and flexibility between themself and their character.

"The third step is 'rendering,' which converts all the work that has already been done from low resolution to high resolution. Rendering is normally done by..."

* * *

After his detailed explanation of the amount of work it took to fully animate a single fictional, CGI character, Thomas was trapped by a few students who had stayed behind to learn more – and they had a _lot_ of questions. Couldn't a computer do the rigging automatically? Did a motion capture actor need to read the script if they didn't have lines anyway? Why did rendering take so long? Because of them, Thomas had stayed in the lecture hall fifty minutes later than he had planned, until the last student finally left and he was able to do the same. After placing a folded document in his jacket pocket and dropping off his laptop bag at his office, he entered the elevator, only to find that he wasn't alone.

"Thomas!" Two voices said at the same time.

"Andrew, Priya," he replied, nodding to both of them.

He had spoken to them separately since Priya's return from her sabbatical, but never at the same time. Remembering the events that Andrew had all but forced him to attend in just this semester alone, Thomas was suddenly glad that Priya had been away as long as she had. From their recent conversation where she had asked him if he ever wondered what they could have been, it was probably best for him to only see her on school grounds for the foreseeable future – which gave him an additional reason to dread tonight's faculty banquet.

However, with the short conversations he had had with both of them earlier today before his special effects lecture, he had a pretty good idea why they were both riding the elevator.

"Thomas Hunt endorsing a student event," Andrew commented with a small grin. "I never thought I would live to see the day."

"Only you could take, _'The students who want a new fraternity are hosting a charity event later today. If you have nothing better to do, I would suggest that you visit it for yourself to see whether or not they make complete fools of themselves,'_ as an endorsement, Andrew."

Making good on his threat to Marie Claire, Thomas had indeed spent some time talking to individual faculty members about their 'Cookies For Coats' clothing drive. Most of the faculty had been unaware that anybody was attempting to start another fraternity in the first place, and had said that they would drop by at some point, if only out of curiosity.

Frowning, Priya asked, "Aren't Marie Claire Hart, Crash Yamaguchi, and Lisa Valentine three of the founding members? Do you really trust them to be able to manage a fraternity?"

It made sense for her to bring up those three students in particular. Lisa Valentine had trashed a hotel room; Crash had destroyed property with a military tank; and Marie Claire had been closely connected to both incidents.

"True, but there are other, more sensible founding members as well. Hollywood U's fraternity establishment system was designed to favor those who are truly disciplined enough for the responsibility – although abject failure is, of course, completely possible. You can never tell with students..."

After they reached the ground floor and left the university building, they could guess from the growing crowd of people outside the student union that 'Cookies For Coats' was off to a good start.

When they entered the student union, the three of them saw Marie Claire and her friends had set up four tables – a registration table, a cookie table to the left, and a clothing table to the right, and a smaller table behind the three where Thomas could see purses and cookie ingredients – probably the personal belongings of the founding members.

With Marie Claire's growing popularity – after all, as recently as this wee, she had been voted to be one of the leaders of the five groups for the special effects projects – it made sense that the clothing drive was attended by her friends, classmates and colleagues, all of them carrying colorful secondhand clothes. But Thomas was pleasantly surprised to see the altruistic contributions of his fellow faculty members. While the clothes in their arms were of more sedate colors and cuts than those of the students, they were practical clothing that would help others, and whether they came out of curiosity or a genuine desire to help, the needy would benefit from their generosity.

One of his students, a male model major whose name Thomas couldn't quite recall at the moment, greeted Marie Claire, holding a strange... object in his hands. It was likely technically some sort of outfit, but all Thomas could see were blue feathers, intricate lace, and black leather fringe.

"What is _that?_ " Priya asked in confusion, her eyes wide.

As if hearing the question, the student unfurled the outfit in his hands, revealing it to be some sort of white formal jacket, the front covered with electric blue peacock feathers and the back with intricate white lace. The fringe hung from the arms, so whoever wore the suit would have black leather fringe affirming their statement whenever they made large hand gestures.

 _Where are the pants?_

That was probably a silly thing to think when there were many other things that he could think, but Thomas, after now having seen the atrocious formal jacket, suddenly felt that, with the trousers of the outfit nowhere in sight, he was being deprived of the full, horrifying experience of seeing what the surely horrible outfit would look like in its entirety.

Then again, some things in life really weren't meant to be experienced.

Thomas watched as Marie Claire took the outfit with a smile and placed it on the clothing table for Addison to fold before giving her full attention to the next person in line... who had a bundle of similar-looking clothes in her hands.

Like the first student, the second student took out one of the outfits out of its transparent plastic bag, showing Marie Claire was appeared to be a jacket from World War One. Thomas wondered if some of Marie Claire's friends had taken the name of the event literally and restricted themselves to giving coats and jackets, or if they just had an excess of jackets by random chance.

"Are those forty... no, fifty... World War One jackets?" Andrew asked out loud, trying to count the jackets while they were still in sight. "What an interesting donation."

After quickly counting them himself, Thomas saw that there were indeed fifty of such jackets being donated to the homeless. Donations were donations, the jackets looked well-made and clean, and they were clearly given in the spirit of the event... but they weren't the most appropriate things to give to people who lived in modern times. But the jackets looked thick and warm, and appearances aside, the recipients would appreciate them when the weather became colder.

Priya's phone rang and she saw who was calling, she excused herself, taking the call and putting her phone to her ear as she walked away. Thomas and Andrew, spotting some other members of the faculty who were watching from a distance, joined them, and the group of six professors talked amongst themselves.

A few minutes of conversation later, Thomas learned that three of the four professors he and Andrew had joined had donated clothing for the cause, receiving a large cookie for each outfit. From the large ball of crumpled plastic wrappers in Cokesworth Cogburn's hand, the stodgy professor had eaten a fair amount of cookies... and enjoyed each and every one of them, judging by the way he eagerly bit into yet another cookie...

* * *

...but his smile was soon replaced by a pained expression as he scrunched his eyes shut. Beads of sweat started appearing on his forehead... and, without saying goodbye, he turned and sprinted for the student union's exit. Thomas was about to say something... when he heard gagging sounds all over the student union. Looking around, he saw that most of the people inside were covering their mouths and clutching their stomachs in pain, trying to keep their dignity by _not_ vomiting all over the student union floor, and barely succeeding. Students who had given donations were running for the nearest exit, and, to Thomas' great embarrassment, on their heels were the faculty members were the faculty members that Thomas himself had invited.

"What is the meaning of this?!" he bellowed, gritting his teeth as he looked around for the culprit. Looking left and right, he couldn't see any obvious culprits - but then a thought occurred to him and he he almost smacked himself on the forehead for not thinking of it sooner.

 _Marie Claire. Of course this is Marie Claire's fault._

Angrily elbowing almost-incapacitated students out of the way, Thomas strode towards her, hardly able to register anything beyond the harm that she and her friends had caused.

It was always Marie Claire's fault. She had been a troublemaker from her very first day at Hollywood U, and she continued to make trouble for him, for the faculty, for the student body, and in one memorable tank incident, for the state of California. Just when he thought that she had matured; that she was showing initiative in starting a fraternity; that she was taking her responsibilities seriously...

He knew the exact moment that she saw him, because she shrunk inside of herself just so slightly, her normally confident demeanor vanishing. Around her, Addison, Ethan, Lisa... and Crash, who seemed to be staggering back from one of the exits, were looking at him warily, as if they knew they were about to be severely reprimanded.

"What have you done?! You poisoned half the faculty, never mind the student body!"

Or at least, if they didn't know it before, they certainly knew it now. He could read the remorse in their eyes, but regret didn't erase the magnitude of what they had done, and the fact that people had been hurt. Sure, he only knew of people vomiting... so far. What if one of the students, or one of the faculty, had an allergic reaction to what had been in their cookies? What if somebody were hospitalized?

"Professor-"

To Thomas' surprise, it was Addison who first tried to speak up, not Marie Claire. Later on, he would think to himself that he shouldn't have been too surprised - after all, Addison had shown a surprising amount of aggression during the Fear 101 lesson. But in the moment, he had no time to compliment his student on her slowly growing backbone.

"Do you think I want to hear your excuses? This was your charity event, and if your fraternity were of any importance to you, you would have been more careful with people's health and lives! I demand to know who's responsible for this!"

Eyes met eyes; resigned glance met resigned glance; peaceful look met peaceful look.

"We all are."

Marie Claire was the one who had spoken this time, and the serenity in her voice was a tone Thomas had heard from her only once before.

That time, she had been surrounded by her friends, but she had a unique burden. She had been about to lose everything, had been prepared to lose everything, her future hinging on the opinion of a professor who hadn't been inclined to listen.

"Yup." Lisa.

"This was our event. The blame belongs to all of us." Ethan.

 _What are they doing? One person could easily take the blame for all this._

It was an illogical decision on their part. They had spent all this time and effort to look for a suitable house, get their grades up to the required standard, and prepare for this admittedly less than successful charity event. Why throw all that effort away?

"You're joking. All of you want to go down for this? You know what this means, don't you?"

"Yeah... we know." Crash.

"No charter. No fraternity. Sorry to let you down, Professor." Marie Claire.

Standing in front of the united group, he looked at each member in turn, and Thomas realized that this time, things were different. This time, Marie Claire was surrounded by her friends, and they shared the burden. They were about to lose their fraternity, were prepared to lose their fraternity, its existence hinging on the opinion of a professor...

...who, quite honestly, thought that they deserved to keep it.

Fraternities weren't about parties and going wild. They weren't even about doing community service. At the heart of it all, a fraternity was a brotherhood - a family. They were the family you found for yourself at university, and a family that took you in long after the original members had graduated.

It was an utterly sappy thing to think, but Thomas felt that he was standing in front of one right now.

And he couldn't help but remember that when he had asked earlier who was responsible for what had happened, Marie Claire was the one who had spoken up first. She had stepped up to take the blame, even though from the worried looks Addison gave the cookies from time to time, she was likely the head baker of the operation.

Which meant that Thomas should have given her his trust after all, because Marie Claire took her involvement in this fraternity seriously. At the initial meeting, she had been the only one who had given solid, mature reasons for why the university needed their fraternity, and Crash had mentioned that she had helped him a great deal with his study methods. She had involved herself not only in the general workings of the fraternity, but had also taken the initiative to help in the individual problems of her fellow founding members. She was serious about this fraternity.

They all were. They were standing in front of him not as five, but as one. All of them would stand together, or go down together. And Thomas could appreciate that.

"Actually, I'm mildly impressed at the whole 'I am Spartacus' routine. Hollywood rarely sees this sort of teamwork and loyalty, and if your fraternity isn't being established for ridiculous reasons like debauchery and excess, like other fraternities on campus...

He shot an irate glance at a group of loud hooligans who were grating his ears with their antics.

"...then perhaps a new organization, your organization, can add something different for a change."

Reaching into his jacket pocket, Thomas took out the last thing that they needed - the document for the official approval for their fraternity - and signed it. After pausing for a moment to let the ink dry - and definitely _not_ so that the foolishly self-sacrificing family of morons in front of him could take a moment to savor their triumph, he had a question for them.

"Congratulations. By the way, how close did you come to your donation goal?"

"Uh, let me see..." Ethan picked up a clipboard and scanned the figures. "Looks like... wow, we only came up one coat short."

Despite that, they were already exchanging looks of triumph, and rightfully so. Deciding to start a fraternity was easy. The house was also easy. But the grades, the community service... and, in this case, meeting their donation goal in only a very short amount of time, or almost meeting it, was difficult. Addison had the right to look relieved, Ethan had the right to look pleased, and Marie Claire...

...well, Thomas didn't get a good look at her face, because he was busy at the moment. Part of establishing a fraternity meant meeting a preset donation goal, and if they were one coat short, Thomas would have to include a tiny addendum to their official proposal... and, really who had the time for that?

So he took off the jacket he was wearing, folded it, and, because she was the closest, very gently placed in Marie Claire's arms.

It was Prada, after all. It had to be handled with care.

"You're welcome."

And she probably knew that it was expensive, judging by the way she smiled softly at Thomas, her fingertips curving over the edges of his jacket like she had been given something precious.

* * *

(End of Chapter Fifty-Eight.) (11/11/17.)

* * *

 **00a. Message from the author:**

Hello, everybody! First of all, I am very, very sorry for not updating on 18/11/17 like I said I would :( I really wanted to be one of those authors that readers could trust, but I'm ashamed to say that this is the second time this has happened in the history of NYTMC 1. I let all of you down, and I am very sorry :(

Lately, in addition to time-consuming family events, I haven't been feeling well. I've experienced painful stomachaches and an ongoing cold that has me blowing my nose into tissue paper very often throughout the day. Occasionally, I had to breathe through my mouth because my nose was so blocked, so eating food and going to sleep weren't as easy as they should have been... but now, while I still have the cold (and no more stomachaches, yay!), I feel a lot better, though I still need to use a lot of tissue. My nose doesn't like me very much at the moment... XD

I'm normally very strict with myself when it comes to NYTMC 1's update schedule... but aside from the things I've already mentioned, there is an important reason why I was able to allow myself to miss a promised update for the second time in NYTMC 1's history. It is because the next chapter is very significant to Thomas and Marie Claire's relationship, and to write it half-heartedly while burdened with stress and illness would result in failing to do it justice :( So, while it was difficult to reconcile with myself that I was going to miss an update for a second time, I knew that missing an update would be much more preferable to making a half-hearted attempt at such an important chapter.

But, again, I am sincerely sorry :(

* * *

 **01\. Canon compliance:**

The quests that took place in this chapter were Plot Twists (L18) and Freaks and Greeks (Day 04 of 04).

* * *

 **02\. A tiny request:**

Thank you for reading my fanfic! :D If you've read this far, I hope you'll consider taking an extra minute to leave a review for Chapter Fifty-Eight ("Growing Faith 01")? :D Reviews really mean a lot to me as a fanfiction writer because I get to hear your thoughts on something I worked really hard on ^_^ Even if it's the year 2075 or something, I would love to hear your thoughts on this chapter! :D

* * *

 **03\. Two interesting HWU things:**

One, the HWU online television series! :D Did you know that a fellow HWU fan, Zoe (her username on Tumblr is "dizzyclueless"), is diligently working on HWU: The Series? It's a fan-made online television series based on Thomas Hunt and other characters from Hollywood U! ^_^ (At the moment, I'm just a very enthusiastic supporter... but I would LOVE to be involved in HWU: The Series someday! :D) You can find out more about this AMAZING television project on Tumblr (their official Tumblr blog is "hwutheseries"). I just LOVE how Pixelberry and Hollywood U have inspired SO many of us fans! ^_^

And two, my second HWU fanfic! :D If you're interested in reading Marie Claire's perspective of this chapter (Chapter Fifty-Eight), then I encourage you to read "NYTMC 2: Marie Claire's Interlude" ^_^ Here's the summary: _"(Part two of the NYTMC series.) (Midquel.) How did Marie Claire Hart fall in love with her most dashing, yet most cantankerous, professor? A retelling of my MC/Hunt fanfic "NYTMC 1: Not Your Typical Meet-Cute" from Marie Claire's perspective, in 100-word drabbles."_


	59. Day 42b (S): Growing Faith 02 (Level 18)

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Hollywood U. This amazing game belongs to Pixelberry! :)**

* * *

 **My responses to your reviews:**

255\. (27/11/17) Guest: It's so nice of you to say that you missed me; thank you! :D Thomas will be thinking a lot about Marie Claire in the next couple of chapters... :P

254\. (27/11/17) Guest: Thanks a lot! :) Being sick really wasn't fun, but I'm feeling better now and I'm ready to focus on NYTMC 1 again! :D

253\. (26/11/17) Guest: Here is the newest chapter! And thank you! :D

252\. (24/11/17) Guest: For a while there, I wasn't feeling my best, sadly! :( Thank you for asking, though... I'm much better now! :D

251\. (21/11/17) Guest: If you're reading this, it means I already have! :D

250\. (21/11/17) RS: Thank you so much for your concern! :) I had a cold that kept making me blow my nose, and stomachaches that made it hard for me to focus on writing, but I'm feeling much better now! :D

249\. (20/11/17) Guest: The next chapter is here! :)

248\. (20/11/17) Guest: Here is the next chapter! :)

247\. (13/11/17) RS: It makes me happy to know that you like those sorts of little details! :) As you can guess from the part you quoted, Marie Claire already has feelings for Thomas at his point in the fanfic. Of course, Thomas, being the silly professor that he is, is taking quite some time to catch up... :P

* * *

 **Chapter Fifty-Nine: Day 42b (Sunday) – Growing Faith 02 (Level 18)**

* * *

It was a good thing that Thomas always had a small selection of jackets available to him in the closet in his office. He had actually had the closet installed during the first year of his teaching career at Hollywood U, during which some students had tried to pull juvenile pranks on him, such as trying to pour green slime, red fake lava, or other colorful yet undesired liquids on him. While he was always able to avoid the pranks, and even reverse them in some cases, he still kept a stash of clothing ready just in case. After all, by being overly prepared, he lost nothing.

That trusty suit collection had come in handy more than once, though it was usually when Andrew suddenly decided that Thomas had to attend one function or another in formal attire. As such, he kept different sets of clothing there for all occasions, and after looking through the selection, he picked out an suit – he supposed Armani was an acceptable substitute for the Prada suit he had just donated – and put it on. After double-checking that the color of his suit matched his tie, he took a folder of papers and headed down to the Hollywood U administrative office.

Looking out the window on the way there, he could see that the furor that Marie Claire's cookies – or, rather, Addison's cookies – had all but died down, thought that was because the building seemed mostly empty at that point. Thomas thought he glimpsed Ethan and Crash helping each other put away the tables they had used, but ignored them for the most part as he walked towards the office.

However, when he arrived, he saw that he wasn't the only one there with documents for the person in charge of fraternity paperwork. In fact, he wasn't even the only one there with paperwork about MEH, because from the sheaf of documents in her hand, it looked like Marie Claire herself had some paperwork to submit as well, and, as she was the sole person in the room, she seemed to be waiting for the person in charge.

Hearing his footsteps as he came closer to the doorway, Marie Claire turned around... and gave a small grin as she eyed Thomas' new suit, though her grin was interrupted very briefly by a small, sad look. At least, that was what Thomas thought that look was – he couldn't be sure, because after he blinked once, that look had disappeared without a trace, and Marie Claire looked as if she had been grinning all along.

"Professor Hunt!" she greeted happily, shifting her documents to her left arm so that she could wave with her right hand. "What are you doing here? Is that our university charter?" she asked, gesturing to the small, slim folder in Thomas' hand.

He nodded.

"This is the document I signed earlier. After I hand it in to be filed, I will, hopefully, having nothing to do with your doomed fraternity from here onwards."

Well, he didn't really think of their fraternity as doomed – if they taught their future members the same values they had showed earlier today, they would become a well-respected fraternity indeed – but if today's cookie fiasco represented the entirety of their cooking skills, there would be many hungry fraternity members wishing they had joined another organization.

 _That, or their members could risk eating Addison's cookies..._

"Doomed?!" Letting the arm with her documents fall to the side, so that she was now holding her stack of papers against her waist, she continued with a smile. "So doomed that you came all the way to the student union to see how we were doing? You can tell me you had faith in me... you don't need to be shy!"

Thomas rolled his eyes. "I have no need to _again_ tell anybody anything of the sort. And I went down there because things tend to go awry when you're involved. I'm sure you can come up with examples yourself."

Upon hearing that, her eyes widened and she made a show of innocently looking at the ceiling and walls of the office – looking at anything but him.

"Besides, you had wasted enough of my time with those requirements and e-mails. After all the fuss you made about getting your fraternity off the ground, you should be satisfied at your endeavor's positive, though highly unlikely, result. Wasting my time would _not_ have boded well for you."

Ignoring his remarks on his valuable time, Marie Claire blurted out, "What do you mean, 'highly unlikely?!' We got through those requirements just fine! If anything, those Rho Gamma guys are the ones who shouldn't have a fraternity in the first place!"

Perhaps she had a point, but Thomas knew that Rho Gamma recruited based on bloodline first, talent second. While the first generation of Rho Gamma members had met Hollywood U's fraternity standards, the requirements for starting a fraternity were far more stringent than those for continuing to run one. As long as the Rho Gamma didn't set anything on fire, or... or crash a military tank, or something, Rho Gamma was likely to continue for a long, long time.

"Be that as it may, they do have a fraternity, and considering the fact that you and I are both here to file paperwork, you are soon to have one of your own. If you had been unable to find a suitable house; if you had been unable to tutor Crash properly; if you had fewer social contacts and had been unable to meet your donation goals... as freshman students, and as general miscreants, your chance for failure was unnaturally high."

 _I'm surprised they actually succeeded... and with the university campus intact, too._

Displeased with his response, Marie Claire bent her head a little bit as she mouthed the word 'miscreants,' before frowning in the direction of the lapels of Thomas' replacement Armani suit. After a beat, Marie Claire suddenly brightened.

"If you had thought we would fail, you wouldn't have brought our fraternity charter in your jacket to sign it!" she exclaimed, pointing at his chest for a moment before curling her fingers and making a downward fist pump. "You could have just told us we'd be failures! But you brought the charter with you, which means you totally thought we could do it!"

* * *

As she smiled triumphantly at him after her statement, Thomas thought about what she said.

He remembered that, earlier that morning, folding that document and taking it with him had seemed entirely natural – he hadn't needed to give it a second thought. If he had thought they would fail, he wouldn't have bothered bringing it; if he had thought they would succeed, he could have informed them that he would sign it without having to bring it along...

...and, even if he had absentmindedly placed it in his jacket and taken it to the student union with him, even if they had succeeded, there still would have been no need to dramatically take it out and physically sign it in front of them. But his own inaction afterwards spoke volumes, whether or not Marie Claire or the others had noticed.

While he let the ink on the document dry, they had a moment to celebrate, and Thomas... didn't begrudge them that. While Marie Claire was a particularly memorable, and particularly destructive, student out of the bunch, Thomas had, in some ways, gotten to know the other founding members as well during their time at Hollywood U.

He acknowledged Addison's bravery in participating in Clash at Sunset after her movie debacle with Brian; and Ethan's methodical nature in quoting university bylaws at him during the most inopportune moments; and Crash's perseverance in entering Hollywood U as a stunt student; and Lisa's efforts to reinvent herself after spending years in only one role.

Even though Thomas had admitted – only to himself, of course, because he wasn't stupid enough to actually say it out loud – during her hearing that he respected Marie Claire, the strength of her achievements had, on that day, overshadowed the accomplishments of her classmates and friends.

So Thomas was startled to recognize that he, in some ways, also – if only slightly – respected Marie Claire's friends and colleagues for their _own_ achievements and qualities. How difficult had it been for Addison to come back to the silver screen after her experience? How did Lisa find the courage to leave a popular television program to try and make it on her own as a pop star? As for Ethan and Crash... while he had never been an agent or a stuntman, how many hours did they spend practicing their mental and physical skills to be the best they could be?

He realized, too, that the things he saw in her classmates had been brought out in Marie Claire's various projects and shenanigans, and Thomas wondered if Marie Claire herself was aware of how her genuine affection and pure faith inspired others.

 _Well, I'm glad I didn't think of all this during her hearing. The boost to her ego would have had her floating upwards to the moon and beyond._

* * *

(End of Chapter Fifty-Nine.) (02/12/17.)

* * *

 **00a. My personal comments about this chapter:**

About this chapter... well, for a chapter where Thomas and Marie Claire are conversing in a room, alone (which rarely happens), it focused more on Thomas' relationships with his other students, and there's a reason for that. While NYTMC 1 is mainly about Thomas' growing and changing relationship with Marie Claire, he is an individual in his own right. Yes, Marie Claire stands out to him (because of the tanks and zombies and awards and stuff), but as a professor, Thomas has been forming his own opinions about his other students as well.

There are hints of this in previous chapters:

In Chapter Thirty-Five, Thomas thinks about Addison's past. ( _"Not only had he and Brian had their clashes while Thomas was still a director, he also disliked the man because he had ruined the prospects of one of his former movie star students."_ )

In Chapter Fifty-Two, Thomas knew at the back of his mind that Ethan had an eye for detail. ( _"...Except that this was Ethan, of all people and it was practically a given that he would have read every single piece of literature available on Hollywood U policy before gathering everybody else for this meeting."_ )

In Chapter Twenty-Two, Thomas acknowledged Crash's skills as a stuntman. ( _"Crash had determined the exact speed he needed... he had angled his motorcycle... he avoided most of the hits he adjusted himself in time... he was composed enough... and he did it all while grinning like a maniac."_ )

And, actually, of the five fraternity's founders, even more so than Marie Claire... the person who is the most similar to Thomas Hunt is Lisa Valentine.

Like Thomas, Lisa was popular and talented in her right (Thomas was a director); she had walk away from what was familiar and reinvent herself (Thomas became a professor); and in the game, Lisa rejected the Silver Circle (just like Thomas did many years earlier). But, because remembering that part of his past is painful for Thomas, he doesn't dwell on it, so we don't see him think of Lisa the way he has thought of Addison, Ethan, and Crash.

Another point I want to make is that when Thomas' feelings towards her start to deepen, it's going to be because of who Marie Claire is as a person. As we've seen, he has many talented students (Addison, Lisa, etc.), but he's not going to develop feelings for them... just Marie Claire :P

By the way... I know I said that the preview I mentioned, _**"there was something there that wasn't there before,"**_ would show up in this chapter... but it turns out that you'll actually have to wait a little while for that line :( I'm very sorry, everybody! :( And I know I've said this before in the author's notes of Chapter Fifty-Eight, but I'm also very sorry for posting this chapter two weeks late, rather than on 18/11/17, like I had promised. I take my responsibility to this fanfic, and to my readers, very seriously, so I'm really unhappy about having been two weeks late for an update TWICE in this fanfic's history, now... :(

* * *

 **00b. My personal comments about a previous chapter:**

It's a lot of fun when I receive questions from my readers, so when one of you asked a question ( _"But, why did Marie Claire was angry at the beginning?"_ ) about something that's significant to Marie Claire's thought process, it made me happy! :)

The question is about what happens at the end of Chapter Fifty-Seven. While Marie Claire is generally nice and polite and even confident, this is one of the few times she shows real hostility towards Thomas. She felt that way because, from everything Thomas has said and done, Marie Claire had grown to assume that he cared about his students... and, in particular, her. (Not necessarily in a romantic way, but in a student-teacher way.) In fact, in Chapter Fifty-One, Thomas said to one of his students, _"A professional gets invested. A professional cares."_ Marie Claire heard him say that as well, and she took it to mean that he genuinely cared about, and was invested in, his students.

But in Chapter Fifty-Seven, when Thomas said, _"You see, imagination is about freedom, yes... but sometimes, it's the obstacles that make creativity truly flourish. That's the real sign of imagination. It's the challenges that make the star,"_ Marie Claire realized (or at least, she THOUGHT she realized) that all of Thomas' efforts to make his students the best they could be were not because he genuinely cared about them. Instead, she thought, in that moment, that his efforts were simply part of his effective teaching process, but meant nothing on a personal level, either with her or with the rest of his students. That was why Marie Claire _"was frowning at him, eyebrows bunched together, lips tightly pressed, eyes glaring at him in bitterness... and, unless he was imagining it, slight disappointment."_

Of course, as Hollywood U players, not to mention as readers (and writer) of NYTMC 1, we know that's not true at all; we know that Thomas sincerely cares about his students. But Marie Claire, not having the same insight into Thomas' mind like we do, misinterpreted Thomas' words, resulting in her hostility towards him.

This bitterness and disappointment towards Thomas in Chapter Fifty-Seven makes the events of Chapter Fifty-Eight that much more significant. The narration (and therefore, Thomas' subconscious) says, _"Which meant that Thomas should have given her his trust after all..."_ and, at the end of the chapter, we see Marie Claire hold on to Thomas' jacket _"like she had been given something precious."_

I used the phrases "should have given" and "had been given" on purpose. In Chapter Fifty-Eight, Thomas' jacket represents his trust, and by giving it to Marie Claire, he is showing that he believes in her capability to run their fraternity properly, which is why he gave his _own_ jacket to help them meet their donation goal. (Remember, they were only one jacket short of their donation goal before he did that.)

And Marie Claire, whether consciously or subconsciously, was aware of the connection between Thomas' jacket and his trust. More than just the jacket, she knew that by receiving Thomas' trust, _"she had been given something precious."_ _  
_

* * *

 **01\. Canon compliance:**

The only quest that took place in this chapter was Plot Twists (L18).

* * *

 **02\. A tiny request:**

Thank you for reading my fanfic! :D If you've read this far, I hope you'll consider taking an extra minute to leave a review for Chapter Fifty-Nine ("Growing Faith 02")? :D Reviews really mean a lot to me as a fanfiction writer because I get to hear your thoughts on something I worked really hard on ^_^ Even if it's the year 2075 or something, I would love to hear your thoughts on this chapter! :D

* * *

 **03\. Two interesting HWU things:**

One, the HWU online television series! :D Did you know that a fellow HWU fan, Zoe (her username on Tumblr is "dizzyclueless"), is diligently working on HWU: The Series? It's a fan-made online television series based on Thomas Hunt and other characters from Hollywood U! ^_^ (At the moment, I'm just a very enthusiastic supporter... but I would LOVE to be involved in HWU: The Series someday! :D) You can find out more about this AMAZING television project on Tumblr (their official Tumblr blog is "hwutheseries"). I just LOVE how Pixelberry and Hollywood U have inspired SO many of us fans! ^_^

And two, my second HWU fanfic! :D If you're interested in reading Marie Claire's perspective of this chapter (Chapter Fifty-Nine), then I encourage you to read "NYTMC 2: Marie Claire's Interlude" ^_^ Here's the summary: _"(Part two of the NYTMC series.) (Midquel.) How did Marie Claire Hart fall in love with her most dashing, yet most cantankerous, professor? A retelling of my MC/Hunt fanfic "NYTMC 1: Not Your Typical Meet-Cute" from Marie Claire's perspective, in 100-word drabbles."_


	60. Day 43 (M): Water Glass (Level 18)

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Hollywood U. This amazing game belongs to Pixelberry! :)**

* * *

 **My responses to your reviews:**

270\. (11/02/18) Kimichan20: I really try to write Thomas in-character, so to hear I'm doing so makes me happy! :) Mischief has been expressing her affection for her human pet in different ways, so while Thomas can't speak bird language, maybe he can figure out her thoughts someday? XD The previous chapter wasn't the last chapter, so don't worry!As for your fanfic, you should totally write it! :) And, I just LOVE reviews, so reading them is NEVER a waste of my time! :D Thank you so much for letting me know your thoughts! :D

269\. (11/02/18) Guest: Aww, I'm glad you liked it! :D

268\. (31/01/18) CatsRTheBoss: That's sweet! :) Let me know if the Fairy Kingdom employee was right about the proper method to make Sneaky Stress Sprites go away! :P Thank you for your understanding, which is very considerate of you... and for your patience, which will be rewarded very soon! :D

267\. (28/01/18) Guest: Also aww :)

266\. (23/01/18) Guest: Aww :)

265\. (08/01/18) Charissa Sophia de la Rosa: Thanks for spending all that time reading my fanfic! :D (Since I'm pretty sure it took a LOT of time XD)

264\. (30/12/17) Guest: I... am truly honored. Thank you very, very much :'( I'll try my best to not let you down! (And also, about Thomas and Mischief, I like the way you said that XD T sure does have a dramatic life despite being a university professor and spending most of his workday in a lecture hall :P)

263\. (29/12/17) cinnamon: I normally make up Thomas' lectures, but because this was an verbal exam for the students and he would be grading their knowledge, I figured it would be good to get information from the real world for a change XD I don't even WANT to imagine how a verbal exam with Marie Claire and Priya would go... although now that you mention it, I now kinda really want to XD It's great to hear from you for the first time! :D

262\. (19/12/17) Guest: It's like you read my heart. It's a relief to know that I'm far from being the only one who feels this way. I absolutely love writing NYTMC 1, so you are very welcome! :D

261\. (17/12/17) owleyes374: Thank you! :'(

260\. (16/12/2017) Guest: I doubt it!

259\. (16/12/17) CatsRTheBoss: You're right! So far, this is the only quest in NYTMC 1 that is about a recruitable character : P I also like it when Thomas has a reason to think of Marie Claire! Unlike Mischief's very wise self, Thomas is a silly human, so we have to be patient with him and give him time to see things clearly. But he's getting there! And I hope those sneaky subconscious critters reveal themselves to you! :D

258\. (11/12/17) Guest: Yay! :D That's EXACTLY what I tried to get across! O.o Thomas has connected with Marie Claire to the point that he feels he knows her on a personal level. And not only that - he acknowledges to himself that it goes both ways; that he feels SHE should have connected with HIM on a personal level, too :( Thank you! :D

257\. (03/12/17) Guest: Hooray! :D I'm very glad to hear that! :D

256\. (03/12/17) Guest: You're very welcome! :) If you have any more questions, just let me know... in case you can't tell, I love talking about NYTMC 1! XD

* * *

 **Chapter Sixty: Day 43 (Monday) – Water Glass (Level 18)**

* * *

The Hollywood U Faculty Banquet was a university tradition that went back all the way to the university's founding. Every year, the professors would arrive at the Walforf Mansion; pretend they found each other interesting company even though seeing each other everyday had drained away any intrigue and mystery anybody would have had; eat a meal produced by students who couldn't even prepare proper meals for themselves and therefore had no business in preparing other people's meals; and endure an exhausting ride back to the main campus building with colleagues who complained about the ordeal they had just experienced.

And all that was alright with Thomas, actually.

While the meals weren't up to his standard, the post-dinner complaining usually let him vent enough that whatever indigestion his students gave him became manageable until he went home and took some medicine to combat the effects his students' sadly inadequate cooking.

But what made this year different was all the complaining he had to suffer through during the limousine ride to the mansion... complaining directed towards him because his brilliant students had poisoned several students and professors earlier that day... and, because it had been Thomas who had recommended that they go to Marie Claire's fraternity's charity event, his fellow professors seemed to blame him for what had occurred.

Thomas gave as good as he got, of course, and then some, because while fellow professors were more tolerable company than idiotic students, certain colleagues of his really weren't as witty and scathing as they thought they were. However, the small yet tedious verbal battles in the limousine sufficiently irritated him that, out of frustration, he was ready to leap out of the limousine, eat pathetic food, and hurry home so that he could go to sleep and move on to the next day.

 _Maybe tomorrow, they'll stop reminding me of what happened at the charity event. I_ know _what happened! I was there!_

The limousine finally came to a stop in front of Waldorf Manor, the gentle crunch of the gravel under the car's wheels cutting off Priya, who had just begun to say, yet _again,_ exactly why his students – namely Marie Claire, Addison, Ethan, Crash, and Lisa – didn't deserve their own fraternity. And while he certainly didn't hold any affection for that motley group, which was capable of unique idiocy that one couldn't really find anywhere else, what irked Thomas was Priya's assertion that he had made the wrong decision in approving their fraternity charter – just like she had previously told him that he was going soft because he had vouched for Marie Claire.

The implication that his judgment was in question; that he was incapable of making the right decisions when it came to his students, was offensive to Thomas, who took honest pride in being a professor.

As he stepped out of the limousine and shrugged out of his long overcoat, Thomas glared balefully at the manor's ostentatious exterior. After an irritating limousine ride in which he was blamed for things that mostly had nothing to do with him, he was going to eat his students' cooking. Specifically, the students who had baked cookies that made people vomit – or, at least, the students who had been stupid enough to let pranksters ruin their charity event with contaminated baked goods.

As Priya and a couple of other professors stepped out of the limousine after him, Thomas recalled one of the previous faculty banquets, where a particularly foolish student had decided that ordering fast food and passing it off as their own cooking would be a good idea... and that student's friends, instead of dissuading him, had actually agreed to the ridiculous plan.

Did students think that professors never ate fast food? What else were professors supposed to eat when so much of their time was devoted to supervising their students' work and minimizing the negative effects of their students' ill-advised antics?

In the foyer, he could see Marie Claire, ready to welcome them. Beside her were Agoto and Diderot, who had both worked with her on class projects... and who were both wearing white and turquoise waiter outfits. Their bright color scheme took Thomas back to one of his freshman students' earlier projects, the fashionista projects, where Marie Claire had picked out truly heinous turquoise spandex leggings, thereby showing her poor judgment... and this was the same student who was going to serve her professors dinner.

As his fellow professors settled beside him, having just exited the limousine, Thomas muttered to them, "Well... let's get this over with."

 _Well... maybe whatever they cook won't be that bad. And if it_ is _that bad... at least I have medical insurance._

Priya, who was standing next to him, remarked scathingly, "While tradition is all very well and good, surely we can dispense this one. Do we need to be subjected to yet another disappointing meal?"

Because she had not bothered to lower her voice, Priya's comment was heard by the three students in front of them who had most probably helped in making said disappointing meal.

"Uh, I'm standing right here," said Marie Claire, looking taken aback at Priya's immediate disapproval... or possibly at the rudeness she had displayed in voicing it loud enough for her targets to hear.

Thomas didn't exactly know why Marie Claire had reacted to Priya's comment, but not his. Probably either because his remark was markedly less offensive... or maybe Marie Claire was already so used to criticism from Thomas that his less-than-pleased comments simply rolled off her like water off a duck's back.

"I know that, Marie Claire," retorted Priya, putting her hands on her hips, "just as I know that you and your little friends will... try your hardest."

Mirroring Priya's irate stance, Marie Claire frowned at her pointedly and said, " _Thanks_ for the vote of confidence."

Her eyes were slightly narrowed, leading Thomas to wonder whether her displeasure with Priya had something to do with Priya being so willing to sign the expulsion papers at her hearing... or whether she had taken offense on her friends' behalf. But she seemed to shrug off her emotions as more professors exited more limousines, and after everybody was assembled, Marie Claire led them to the dining room.

* * *

Under her supervision, Agoto and Diderot took everybody's coats and directed them to their seats, and as they did so, Thomas raised an eyebrow at a very familiar stag's head, which was mounted over one end of the long formal dining table, as if the animal intended to watch over the meal of the humans sitting below. On the wall over by the other end of the table hung an oil painting of the two people who had thought that decorating a dining room with a stag's head was a good idea.

"Exley and Marjolaine Waldorf... now _there_ was a couple with good taste," he growled caustically, glancing around the room and seeing more evidence that they should have hired an interior designer rather than do the job themselves. At his comment, he noticed Marie Claire quickly eye the magnificent stag's head as she gave a small smile that she tried to hide.

 _Surely she isn't imagining me in the stag's place? That would be even worse than imagining me as a big, fluffy teddy bear..._

As her professors looked at Marie Claire expectantly, she addressed Thomas' snide comment, replying serenely, "I'm sure they'd be pleased with the dinner we have planned for you tonight. Agoto and Diderot, start serving the first course, please."

Moving with the smoothness of professional waiters – Thomas was idly reminded of Joe, the waiter he had spoken with while sending fake secret admirer notes to Marie Claire that night – Agoto and Diderot promptly served him and the rest of the professors the first course. When everybody had a steaming bowl in front of them, Marie Claire, who was a short distance away from the dining table, introduced the dish.

"We'll be starting you with charred onions in a sauce of smoked feta and goat cheese. The tangy feta cheese and soft goat cheese were combined in a skillet to create a creamy sauce that would blend with the charred onion."

Thomas found himself nodding approvingly, both at her eloquent description and at the delicious scent wafting up from the bowl in front of him. Inside the bowl, he could see half a large onion, slightly blackened on the stove, sitting in the middle of a simmering sauce made from two contrasting types of cheese.

After cutting himself a piece to taste the result, Thomas was very pleased. Whoever had conceptualized the dish knew that the tangy feta cheese would blend perfectly with the softer taste of goat cheese, and that combination of flavors, together with the slight sweetness of the charred onion, made for a very satisfying appetizer that left one wanting more.

Out of the corner of his eye, Thomas could see that Priya, who had severely doubted his students' cooking abilities, had nothing bad to say about the dish, and was sampling it with the look of somebody who could find nothing to be displeased about. For Priya, that was a compliment in and of itself.

"Hmm. Not bad," he remarked, smiling as he cut himself another piece of onion. If the rest of the meal was as delicious at the appetizer, maybe this wouldn't be a horrible dinner after all.

* * *

 _I spoke too soon. Or, rather, thought too soon. What is... this?!_

Maintaining a professional distance from the dining table, Marie Claire said, "I think you're all going to enjoy this next dish! We haven't come up with a name for it yet, since we just perfected the recipe a moment ago."

If Marie Claire had looked serene while introducing the first course, she looked positively excited as she presented the second course. Being very used to Marie Claire's bright, as well as not-so-bright, ideas at this point, her brimming enthusiasm set off loud alarms in Thomas' head.

"Excuse me?" he asked her pointedly, wanting more information before he risked his tongue and entire digestive system on a dish they had only perfected "a moment ago."

Saying nothing, Marie Claire only grinned mischievously at him...

...which did nothing to calm the alarm bells going off in Thomas' mind. More than anything else, it was Marie Claire's lack of a verbal response that made him give a wary look at the bowl of salad in front of him and wonder suspiciously if it was her belated attempt to poison him because he had failed to fall victim to their contaminated cookies at their charity event.

Thomas knew she wouldn't _really_ do that... but that thought didn't make him feel better as he gazed down at his salad.

With vividly-colored edible flowers nestled between leaves of spinach, arugula, and watercress, the salad was as cheerfully vibrant as the woman who had introduced it. Instead of predictable crouton cubes nestling on top of the salad, there were slivers of toasted coconut scattered on top of the salad, adding to its already unusually colorful appearance, a stark contrast to normal green salads. Not seeing any pieces of chicken, lamb, or other protein on the plate, Thomas assumed that they had made a purely vegetarian salad, though he had no complaint since it looked very colorful and appetizing.

Taking his fork, Thomas pushed a light pink edible flower on top of some deep green spinach leaves, moved some toasted coconut slivers on top of them, and speared the combination, placing his fork in his mouth so that he could sample the second course for himself. As he chewed his first bite of salad, he could taste the sweetness of the toasted coconut, the earthiness of the pink edible flower, the clear taste of the spinach leaves... as well as something unexpected.

In using his fork to combine the different salad ingredients together, the prongs of his fork must have caught something that had been under the spinach leaves, because Thomas didn't know how else to explain the fourth ingredient he was also tasting. It was slightly shorter than his ring finger, had a superbly satisfying crunch, and an unusual bitter – yet not disagreeable – taste that went perfectly with the rest of the salad ingredients.

"This is..."

He frowned in concentration as he tried to discern what that mysterious fourth ingredient was... and, after failing to do so, he simply sat back as he finished off his first bite, the delicious flavors fresh in his mouth as he continued.

"...Quite good, actually. It's bold, it's daring... it's unlike any salad I've had before."

"I thought you might like it," Marie Claire said happily after his flattering appraisal of the dish, giving him a bright smile as if she had been personally responsible for the salad's uniqueness.

And, knowing her, it was more than likely.

After looking around to see that everybody was enjoying the salad, she said to the room, "Now, if you'll excuse me, I should check on the main course," before exiting the dining room, presumably to go to the kitchen.

As soon as she left, Thomas combined more ingredients for his second forkful of salad, though his second bite did not include the mysterious ingredient he was still mystified by. Thinking that the conundrum had plagued him long enough, he used his fork to push aside the spinach, arugula, and watercress leaves to reveal... that the crunch that had made his first taste of the salad so satisfying was due to the fact that the salad had crickets.

"Crickets," he heard Priya say in a perplexed tone, having made the realization the same time Thomas had. Turning to look at her, Thomas saw her spear a cricket with her fork and look at it with a baffled expression, as if she didn't know whether to be impressed at the unusual addition, or displeased because it had been Marie Claire who had been behind it.

Not that Thomas knew that for sure... well, actually, he did. Out of everybody he knew, only somebody like _Marie Claire_ would think that feeding Thomas crickets would be a _good_ idea.

 _A delicious idea, though,_ he thought, as he fished a cricket from the bowl, put it on top of a purple-pink edible flower, and tasted the two together. Around him, Thomas could see that most of his fellow professors, like Cokesworth, for example, were looking at or tasting the crickets curiously, although a couple of others seemed like they thought eating crickets was a perfectly normal thing to do... which, Thomas knew, was true in several countries around the world.

After everybody had finished their salads, Agoto and Diderot cleared took away their empty bowls before standing at attention on either side of the door leading to the kitchen. Moments later, an unfamiliar young man carrying a large silver plate with some sort of pastry on it walked confidently into the dining room, followed closely by Marie Claire, who was carrying a couple of large utensils.

The man, who was dressed in a red chef's uniform, took the carving utensils from Marie Claire with a smile before carving the first piece of the pastry himself. The pastry crust, which was a rich, golden color like it had been buttered before being placed in the oven, came apart upon contact with the chef's silver knife, and inside were thick chunks of tender-looking fillet mignon in savory herb gravy.

 _That looks positively scrumdidlyumptious,_ Thomas thought, his mouth almost watering at the delicious sight. He needed that on his plate, _now._

"Postively scrumdidlyumptious?" repeated Marie Claire with a delighted grin...

...and Thomas realized a moment too late that, in his eagerness to sample the impeccably-cooked beef Wellington in front of him, he had accidentally spoken out loud.

" _Ahem!_ " he coughed, trying to disguise his slight embarrassment at blurting out his thoughts _and_ using a fictional word... and such a _childish_ fictional word at that. "Uh, nothing. Stop looking at me!"

From the happy sparkle in her eye, it didn't really work. Maybe he should brush up on his acting skills.

After a short, whispered conversation, the unfamiliar chef left the dining room, but Marie Claire stayed behind, just like she had for the first two courses. After Agoto served him a thick slice of beef Wellington, Thomas tried to not look as eager as he felt as he picked up his fork and sliced off a generous portion, spearing it with his fork and putting it in his mouth, expecting a burst of flavor...

* * *

...but what Thomas hadn't expected was a burst of memories. The warmth of the beef Wellington, the herbs on the beef that was so soft that it fell part in his mouth, the flaky pastry seasoned with butter... everything he tasted made him feel happy and warm and hopeful, like... like... when he was younger and the world had seemed full of possibilities. While other teenagers sneaked out to do illegal, ill-advised things, Thomas instead did so to watch midnight screenings of foreign films that weren't shown in the daytime due to the public's lack of interest, and once summer he had climbed out of his bedroom window to watch a local screening of a movie aBOUT a man who wanted his life to mean something before his approaching death, the unfortunately tragic ending made peaceful by the respectful treatment the director had given the subject matter...

"That... that man can _cook,_ " Thomas murmured in a low voice, his normal reticence overridden by the storm of emotions that single bite of impossibly flavorful beef Wellington brought to the surface. "I haven't felt this way since I snuck out to a midnight screening of 'Ikiru' that one summer night..."

Ikiru had been one of the films that had shown Thomas that there were many different ways to tackle a subject without resorting to cliches. The movie's main character had known that he was going to die... but he didn't spend his time trying to find a cure to his illness or doing everything he could to delay the inevitable. Instead, Ikiru had chosen to live life to the fullest, and, in the end, fight not for himself and his own life, but for-

"That's not the night my mind went to, Thomas..." Priya said sadly, almost making Thomas, who had been lost in his thoughts, jump in surprise. Then her comment repeated itself in his mind and he realized that she had been thinking of another night entirely. He and Priya had ordered beef Wellington at the restaurant the night Priya had told him that she was ending their relationship for career reasons...

...and, since she had not bothered to lower her voice, their colleagues sitting closest to them surely would have heard her comment. While they wouldn't know the details, they would be astute enough to know that Priya was referring to their past relationship, and the jarring juxtaposition of private memories and professional acquaintances made Thomas extremely uncomfortable.

"Priya, please... let's not talk about this now," Thomas whispered, because _he_ knew to lower his voice when discussing personal matters...

...but before either of them could say anything else, Thomas heard Marie Claire exclaim in alarm, "Oh, Professor Cogburn, I'm so sorry... let me clean that up for you!"

Looking up at the commotion, he saw a wet patch of tablecloth in front of Cokesworth, who had been the victim of... whatever had happened, and he also saw Marie Claire hurriedly grab a clean napkin from a side table. After returning a knocked-over water glass to its proper position, she attempted to mop up the excess water on the dining room table, trying to make light of the situation by jokingly promising to buy her professor a new suit - "but only if it's under twenty dollars, Professor Cogburn; I'm just a poor student, after all!" - to make up for her blunder.

As the other professors laughed, Marie Claire scanned the table, ostensibly to look for more water to clean up, and they made eye contact.

Thomas nodded at her in gratitude, and she shot him a small smile in return.

And that was all that needed to be said.

* * *

Thomas gave a sigh of relief as he arrived home and headed for his bedroom. He had mostly stayed quiet throughout the rest of the meal, and after they had all finished the scrumptious beef Wellington – and, later on, the sweet strawberry and apricot tarts that made up the fourth course – he and the rest of the professors had left Waldorf Manor extremely satisfied, not to mention full.

Performing her last act as the dinner's hostess, Marie Claire had bid them goodbye at the foyer. As he passed her, Thomas didn't speak – in fact, the last thing he had said to her that night was for her to stop looking at him after he had blurted out that the beef Wellington looked 'positively scrumdidlyumptious' – but he did give her an approving nod, as the dinner had exceeded his admittedly low expectations.

Thinking that he ought to write about the unusually not-abysmal faculty banquet, so that he could, in the future, remind himself that there was hope for future faculty banquets, Thomas picked up his journal... but after opening it to the next blank page, he wasn't thinking of beef Wellington or cricket salad anymore.

Since the beginning of the dinner, Marie Claire had left the serving duties to Agoto and Diderot. She had chosen to stand at a short distance from the dining table as she introduced each course, which was why she couldn't have knocked over that water glass by accident, especially at that precise moment. Thomas, not being a stupid man, had realized immediately that she had done so on purpose, and had given her a grateful smile nod for her timely distraction. Some people might say that Marie Claire choosing to knock over that water glass was a small thing – but Thomas knew otherwise.

From the moment he found out that she had chosen to stick to Holly's script, Thomas had known that Marie Claire... had a good heart. And while she _had_ also done incredibly idiotic things since then, that didn't take away from the fact that Marie Claire's instinctive response was to be _good_ to others. She had been loyal to Holly; she had offered to help Agoto and Mova with their negotiation and improv difficulties; she had spared Crash the responsibility for the tank by taking on the blame herself _and_ she had fought for his right to study at Hollywood U; she had helped Bradley save the Orchid Theater...

...which was why her decision to take his trophy had shocked Thomas so completely.

Part of him had known, and perhaps had always known, that that singular, selfish action was so unlike what he knew of Marie Claire's character that it made the ugliness of her choice stand out that much more, and Thomas realized that part of why he had been so grossly offended, and so deeply affected, by her betrayal was because he had known that her first instinct was always to help, and to protect, and to be loyal, and that she had followed those firm principles with everybody she came across... except him.

Her thievery was an aberration, an inexplicable anomaly, that went against everything he knew of Marie Claire's character, and Thomas had resented that it had been so easy for her to always be good to others, and yet also so easy for her to be... different from good... when it came to him, as if all of Thomas' sincere efforts as a professor to help her be the best she could be had meant nothing to his most promising, yet most frustrating, student.

But even after that one incident, she had continued to show her goodness. Marie Claire had helped Crash with his studies; she worked to establish a fraternity founded on equality and family; she had been the first to step up and take responsibility for the contaminated cookies so that her friend wouldn't take the blame alone.

And, tonight...

From her position away from the dining table, the only way Marie Claire could have knocked over that water glass was if she had acted _immediately_ after hearing Thomas' request to Priya to not discuss their past. While Marie Claire could have chosen to stay silent in order to hear more; or chosen not to do anything because their conversation was none of her concern... she did neither. Instead, she _immediately_ chose to take the best course of action that would distract everybody from Thomas' discomfort.

Because Marie Claire's first instinct was always to help, and to protect, and to be loyal.

And, unlike the day she stole his trophy... tonight, Marie Claire had helped Thomas, and had protected Thomas, and had been loyal to Thomas.

Without a second thought.

Marie Claire's incredibly foolish and hurtful lapse in judgment regarding his trophy didn't take away from the fact that Thomas very rarely had faith in people... but, in the course of thirty-one days, she had made him believe in her. And, that one incident aside, Marie Claire had continued to prove her innate goodness without any thought of reward for herself, because that was who she truly **_was._**

She had proven herself worthy of Thomas' trust and respect. Stealing a metal statue didn't mean that all the good things she had done since the moment he met her had been lies or deceptions or whatever; and stealing a metal statue didn't change who she was as a person; and stealing a metal statue didn't change who she had **_always_** been as a person. Only a stupid person would think otherwise, and Thomas most certainly was _not_ a stupid person... and so, after too much time thinking and pondering and deliberating, Thomas firmly told himself to forgive Marie Claire...

...only to realize that he already had.

* * *

(End of Chapter Sixty.) (09/12/17.)

* * *

 **00\. My personal comments:**

As always, there are references to past and future chapters AND there are subconscious things! :P

The water glass scene actually takes place during the Hollywood U quest "Faculty Banquet." In case you're curious, I posted the screenshots on my Tumblr blog, although I've also included the canon text here: ("That's not the night my mind went to, Thomas...") ("Priya, please... let's not talk about this now.") ("You quickly distract the dinner guests by knocking over a glass of water.") ("Oh, Professor Cogburn, I'm so sorry... let me clean that up for you!") ("Professor Hunt nods at you in gratitude, and you shoot him a small smile in return.")

I think you can only get this scene if you haven't recruited Holly yet, and I thought it was the perfect scene for Thomas to really _see_ Marie Claire again... and for him to remember that she's not just this super evil traitor who goes around stealing other people's trophies; she's also a considerate and caring person. (By the way, the word "scrumdidlyumptious" is from a children's book by Roald Dahl called "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" :P It basically means "really, REALLY delicious" :P)

If you'll recall, Thomas told himself in Chapter Fifty-One that he would try to forgive Marie Claire... but just because you tell yourself you'll try to forgive somebody doesn't mean that you can do it that very minute. Forgiveness takes time... which Thomas has now had :) I also wanted to show that Thomas' feelings about Marie Claire's actions are very... complex, and that he was affected by what she did for several reasons. He was hurt because she stole his trophy... AND he was hurt because she did it almost immediately after he vouched for her... AND he was hurt because she did it for the Silver Circle... AND he was hurt because he had believed in her... AND he was hurt because he only found out right after their very special moment on the rooftop... and so on and so forth. It's a whole... mess of feelings, some that he has acknowledged and some he hasn't; some he's aware of and some he isn't.

* * *

 **01\. Canon compliance:**

The quests that took place in this chapter were Plot Twists (L18) and Faculty Banquet (Day 01 of 01).

* * *

 **02\. A tiny request:**

Thank you for reading my fanfic! :D If you've read this far, I hope you'll consider taking an extra minute to leave a review for Chapter Sixty ("Water Glass")? :D Reviews really mean a lot to me as a fanfiction writer because I get to hear your thoughts on something I worked really hard on ^_^ Even if it's the year 2075 or something, I would love to hear your thoughts on this chapter! :D

* * *

 **03\. Two interesting HWU things:**

One, the HWU online television series! :D Did you know that a fellow HWU fan, Zoe (her username on Tumblr is "dizzyclueless"), is diligently working on HWU: The Series? It's a fan-made online television series based on Thomas Hunt and other characters from Hollywood U! ^_^ (At the moment, I'm just a very enthusiastic supporter... but I would LOVE to be involved in HWU: The Series someday! :D) You can find out more about this AMAZING television project on Tumblr (their official Tumblr blog is "hwutheseries"). I just LOVE how Pixelberry and Hollywood U have inspired SO many of us fans! ^_^

And two, my second HWU fanfic! :D If you're interested in reading Marie Claire's perspective of this chapter (Chapter Sixty), then I encourage you to read "NYTMC 2: Marie Claire's Interlude" ^_^ Here's the summary: _"(Part two of the NYTMC series.) (Midquel.) How did Marie Claire Hart fall in love with her most dashing, yet most cantankerous, professor? A retelling of my MC/Hunt fanfic "NYTMC 1: Not Your Typical Meet-Cute" from Marie Claire's perspective, in 100-word drabbles."_


	61. Day 44 (T): Different Roles (Level 18)

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Hollywood U. This amazing game belongs to Pixelberry! :)**

* * *

 **My responses to your reviews:**

291-293. (23/02/18) MFackenthal: **[C16.]** Onion rings would be dangerous for Thomas to order! O.o If he ordered them in public, somebody might see and think he was undignified... but if he had them delivered to his house, he would have to share them with Mischief! :P **[C17.]** Those were nicknames that Thomas came up with because I was too lazy to come up with names for really minor characters that would never appear again You'll have to forgive Thomas... the magic of the Fairy Kingdom Formal lasted for only one night... :'( **[C18.]** Well, in the game, he says later on that he only ASKED if getting that kind of criticism was acceptable. I think that Thomas was expecting, or hoping, that they had more faith in themselves than they did at that moment. It was a test, and they failed :) And, thank you SO MUCH for reviewing eighteen chapters of my fanfic! :'( You've made me so happy! :'(

290\. (?/02/18) RS: Even if it's not in the fanfic anymore (though it will be in the future), it sounds that you really liked that chapter, so, yay! :D Thomas is pretty grumpy when it comes to other adults (like his students and colleagues), but with birds and children, he seems to (sort of) change his tune, just a little bit... XD

285-289. (22/02/18) MFackenthal: **[C11.]** He doesn't appreciate it when people endanger Hollywood U's reputation (which also shows how much he loves being a professor), and any threat to the university gets his hackles up! :P **[C12.]** If I ever get amnesia and forget about everything in my life, there is still one thing I will remember no matter what: How BORING writing Chapter Twelve was XD But as the author, I knew that the more I wrote about the creation of the spark sphere, the more it would emphasize how Thomas works hard for his students :) He truly cares about all of them :) **[C13.]** I work hard on including those aspects of the game in this fanfic, so thank you so much for noticing! :D **[C14.]** Hahaha, yes! I'm glad you spotted that cricket! :D Being able to write Thomas noticing how beautiful Marie Claire was, all those details, made me so happy! :) **[C15.]** There was something about the magical atmosphere of the Fairy Kingdom Formal that just made Thomas let himself take down his defenses (mostly subconsciously, but still), and Marie Claire knew on some level that his unusual vulnerability, his openness, was truly precious :')

280-284. (21/02/18) MFackenthal: **[C06.]** Hmm... maybe Mischief Causer? Mischief Creator? :P Sadly, I had to establish the fact that at this point in the story, BOTH of them were in NO way romantically attracted to each other... and the best way to do that was to have them BOTH date... and kiss... other people :( **[C07.]** Thomas IS pretty contrary when it comes to Mischief, isn't he? :P I really needed a way for him to learn all the things he learned, so I'm glad that the way he overheard those conversations seemed natural! :) Poor Thomas, though... XD **[C08.]** Very true... but he also didn't recognize her because it's still really early in their acquaintance, so he's not immediately attuned to her presence yet :) Thank you for the compliment! :P And if I could give you a private island, I totally would! :D **[C09.]** Their connection is growing stronger... :P **[C10.]** Just as Marie Claire was making up everything as she went along, so was I... I have no idea if "soft sales" are a real thing in the entertainment industry, or if the term means what I said it meant in the chapter XD

275-279. (21/02/18) MFackenthal: **[C01.]** That "eyes" line was the one and only time Thomas acknowledged Marie Claire's physical attractiveness before the Fairy Kingdom Formal, so I truly savored that moment... :') I think that Thomas was too smart to just blow up over what seemed like an accident, so I think he just acted the way he was expected to. (I really liked writing that "epiphany" line, so I'm glad you noticed it! :D) **[C02.]** Thomas has probably seen that OH NO I HAVE TO THINK OF SOMETHING TO SAY FAST look on his students' faces often enough :P **[C03.]** Ah, I hate to disappoint you, but canon says otherwise... :P Once everybody has their envelopes, Thomas says, "Your twenty-four hours begin in three... two... one... You may begin." After that, narration says that "the teams tear open their envelopes," so they truly did all have the same amount of time to work on the project :P. **[C04.]** Sadly, because Thomas didn't really care about Marie Claire as a student yet, he didn't really noticed her outfit... and so, the narration didn't either :( **[C05.]** Aww, don't worry :( It's just a date with Marianne... with kissing... :'(

274\. (18/02/18) Guest: Aww, thank you! :D

273\. (17/02/18) CatsRtheBOSS: Thank you for your kind words! :D It can be very tough to write and feel like nobody is reading, so your thoughts really make a difference! :) I've recently deleted the chapter you're talking about, but I'm happy that you liked it while it still existed XD Thomas had never interacted with children in this fanfic before that chapter, so it was a new dynamic for me to write :D And that scene from the future is a very special scene indeed! ^_^ But don't worry about that chapter being gone... it will reappear at just the right time, and hopefully you'll see even more of Thomas and Marie Claire's growing connection when I publish it again! :)

272\. (17/02/18) rysaspirit: It's great to hear from you again! :) I'm glad you liked the chapter about the fairy tale help quest... before I deleted it XD Speaking of quests, I modified my color-coded outline this week to include even more quests from the game! :P

271\. (17/02/18) Guest: Hooray! :) I can't wait to hear the things you have to say! :D

* * *

 **Chapter Sixty-One: Day 44 (Tuesday) – Different Roles (Level 18)**

* * *

It was a mystery to Thomas how students could be so absentminded when it came to class projects and deadlines, and yet just as motivated when it came to gathering campus gossip. Because when he entered his office that morning to make preparations for his freshman's make-up project, everything seemed to be normal – but when he left his classroom two hours later, he could hear whispers in the hallways about how the freshman class was going to work together on one important project.

 _This was finalized only yesterday! I haven't even put it in the updated version of the class syllabus yet!_

When he entered the lecture hall, Thomas was met with expectant gazes from all side, following the path he took from the doors to the stage, waiting for him to confirm the big news. Frankly, Thomas was surprised at the show of pseudo-solidarity because, after all, not all of his students liked each other. But each and every one of them knew that any type of career in the entertainment industry required intensive collaboration, and this was of a magnitude that they had never experienced in a class project thus far. And, not wanting to beat around the bush, as soon as he reached the podium, Thomas confirmed the rumors.

"Yes, it's true. Thanks to a generous anonymous donation to the university, we'll all be working together this week. One big happy family," he finished sarcastically.

It was all fun and games for his students to be excited about a large-scale, well-funded projects, but it was up to Thomas to grade all of them based on how well performed in the days ahead. While they only had to focus on what short-term tasks they were to complete for the day, Thomas had the unhappy duty of having to closely observe every single one of his students – and, because he had placed most of them in roles they barely had experience in, in order to test their versatility, Thomas only hoped that they didn't embarrass him too much in front of industry contacts he would be inviting to the film premiere.

"The project," he continued, "is a series of high-budget short films, each a different genre."

That had been one of the _requests_ given – that a variety of film genres be explored in the class project that the anonymous donation was to fund. It was actually from that request that Thomas had decided to assign his students to different roles than they were used to. After all, more films meant more directors, producers, actors, and so on – and, after seeing them perform well, or at least adequately, in their own specialties, he was morbidly curious about how their would execute responsibilities that would be all but foreign to them.

Addison had been one of the first students he had "cast." After seeing that it had taken four people to restrain her hysterics during the Fear 101 lesson four weeks ago, he wanted to see if she could deliver that type of ruthless, single-minded intensity in a less life-threatening, more professional setting. With Addison being one of his more polite, soft-spoken students, Thomas didn't know if she was capable of intimidating and threatening others if they weren't about to eat her brains, but time would tell.

On the other hand, Thomas had reluctantly given Bianca associate producer responsibilities for the entirety of the project. She had, so far, performed only adequately in most of her projects – and she had made sure that she played an acting role in almost all of them. Having already seen one movie star major develop the skills of a movie producer in an astonishingly short period of time, Thomas wanted to see if, with the right opportunity, lightning could strike his freshman class twice. Of course, he had his doubts – after all, during the bodyguard project, Bianca had fired her partner for getting her coffee order wrong – but there was a slight chance that co-starring in a movie with as much promise as Clash at Sunset had made her more mature and less... self-centered. Either way, there was no time like the present to find out.

Just as he had taken Bianca out of the spotlight for the week, he placed new actors under that same spotlight: Lance and Jenni. While Lance obviously took great care in maintaining his looks for his chosen profession, his carelessness when it came to handling responsibility – it was an unusual day when Lance actually showed up for a morning class – would hinder his career after he graduated and shed the protection that being "just a university student" granted him. By making him an actor in the fantasy portion of the project, all eyes would be on him, and Thomas wanted to see – although he could guess at the results even now – if being under more scrutiny made him act any differently than he normally did.

Likewise, scrutiny was part of the reason Thomas had also assigned Jenni to be an actor for this week's project. As a celebutante major, she was almost the opposite of Lance – where Lance was irresponsible, Jenni took great care to craft her public persona, as all celebutantes did. However, her problem was that the facade she presented to the world lacked depth – her social media account, while constantly updated, contained flashy photos and snarky comments, but lacked any real emotional depth. By placing her in another role, one that was not of her own creation, Thomas hoped that she would analyze her temporary character and see what was lacking in her permanent one.

"I'll be screening the shorts at the end of the week for my industry friends," he warned his class. "You very much want to impress them. _And_ me."

Of course, those four weren't the only students Thomas had to consider. During the morning, he had thought, and not for the first time, that teaching university students was more complicated that it had looked the first time he had applied to Hollywood U to be a professor. Instead of worrying about one career – his own – he needed to be able to see several steps in advance when it came to the career paths of all his students. He had to constantly ask himself which projects would give them the skills they needed; which projects would maximize their potential...

Shaking his head to clear it of such thoughts, Thomas reached into his pocket and tapped a button on his phone.

"I've assigned each of you a production role. You should have the list in your e-mail now. Shooting begins tomorrow."

As if they had planned to move in sync, his students all whipped out their phones and checked their e-mail right then and there. Bianca seemed to have read the email first, as she was the first to react. She, followed by her entourage, sauntered up to Marie Claire, who was looking at her phone with a dismayed expression.

He couldn't hear what Marie Claire spoke to Bianca and her entourage about, but after the rest of the class finally read the e-mail he had sent, there was a mix of cheers and groans – and the latter irritated Thomas.

"You may, at any point in time, being to act like the adults and film students you _are._ While some of you may be disappointed, believing that you deserve to be in the spotlight at all times..."

And he gazed evenly at Marie Claire, disappointed in her earlier dismay at her assigned production role.

When he had decided that Marie Claire was to be a make-up artist for this week's freshman project, it hadn't been to spite her, or to imply that she was unable to handle the more visible, more stressful responsibilities of directing, producing, or acting. On the contrary, he knew perfectly well from her past work that she had ample experience in directing scenes, performing producer tasks, and acting in front of the camera. Her skills in those areas had already been proven many times over. He had given her make-up responsibilities for this production because as her professor, he wanted her to accumulate all the skills she could; to learn everything there was to learn about the industry, because every single piece of knowledge would help her grow to be a more nuanced, more marketable, more competent actor and filmmaker.

It was unfortunate that she failed to realize that.

"...keep in mind," Thomas continued, "that all production roles are vital to a film's success. There are no small parts, only small actors."

There was a pause, only to be broken by Jenni, who exclaimed approvingly, "You are _so_ on-trend, Professor Hunt! Tyrion Lannister has a huge part on Game of Thrones!"

He sighed.

"Jenni, that's not even remotely what I'm talking about..."

 _At least as an actor, she won't be writing her own lines..._

After seeing that everybody knew what they were supposed to be doing for the next three days, Thomas exited the stage, leaving his students to complain each other about the production roles they had been assigned... when what they _should_ have been doing was approaching their classmates specialties they were going to be taking over and asking for their advice. But everybody had to learn somehow, and Thomas just hoped that tomorrow's romantic comedy film short wouldn't be too much of a disaster.

* * *

(End of Chapter Sixty-One.) (24/02/18.)

* * *

 **00\. My personal comments:**

In canon, the main character says, _"I'm on make-up? But I haven't studied it at all!"_ when she finds out her production role. In this chapter, it's at this exact moment that Thomas looks at Marie Claire and sees her dismay. Marie Claire is dreading the task because she's not prepared enough... but Thomas, who didn't hear what she said, could only see her disappointed facial expression, and he jumped to the conclusion that Marie Claire was dreading the task because she thought that being a make-up artist was beneath her (since that's what different student might think).

And on a personal note, thank you very much for reviewing the previous chapter! :D

* * *

 **01\. Canon compliance:**

The HWU quests that took place in this chapter were Plot Twists (L18) and Overshadowed (Day 01 of 05).

* * *

 **02\. A tiny request:**

Thank you for reading my fanfic! :D If you've read this far, I hope you'll consider taking an extra minute to leave a review for Chapter Sixty-One ("Different Roles")? :D Reviews really mean a lot to me as a fanfiction writer because I get to hear your thoughts on something I worked really hard on ^_^ Even if it's the year 2075 or something, I would love to hear your thoughts on this chapter! :D

* * *

 **03\. Two interesting HWU things:**

One, the HWU online television series! :D Did you know that a fellow HWU fan, Zoe (her username on Tumblr is "dizzyclueless"), is diligently working on HWU: The Series? It's a fan-made online television series based on Thomas Hunt and other characters from Hollywood U! ^_^ (At the moment, I'm just a very enthusiastic supporter... but I would LOVE to be involved in HWU: The Series someday! :D) You can find out more about this AMAZING television project on Tumblr (their official Tumblr blog is "hwutheseries"). I just LOVE how Pixelberry and Hollywood U have inspired SO many of us fans! ^_^

And two, my second HWU fanfic! :D If you're interested in reading Marie Claire's perspective of this chapter (Chapter Sixty-One), then I encourage you to read "NYTMC 2: Marie Claire's Interlude" ^_^ Here's the summary: _"(Part two of the NYTMC series.) (Midquel.) How did Marie Claire Hart fall in love with her most dashing, yet most cantankerous, professor? A retelling of my MC/Hunt fanfic "NYTMC 1: Not Your Typical Meet-Cute" from Marie Claire's perspective, in 100-word drabbles."_


	62. Day 45a (W): Avian Musings 04 (Level 18)

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Hollywood U. This amazing game belongs to Pixelberry! :)**

* * *

 **My responses to your reviews:**

 _Hello! :) I will be replying to your reviews in the next chapter. Thank you! :D_

* * *

 **Chapter Sixty-Two: Day 45a (Wednesday) – Avian Musings 04 (Level 18)**

* * *

After her triumph at adopting a human and making sure it didn't endanger its precious shiny thing, Mischief had hunted for delicious, squirmy things to eat, and before she knew it, it was nighttime and she had no idea where her new pet was.

Mischief had tried to tell herself that it was understandable. After all, they had only met earlier that day. But despite her pet's apparently mature state – her time on the beach had given her a good idea of what size human chicks were, and her human was definitely not a chick by its own species' standards – Mischief didn't know how capable it would be when it came to fending for itself after dark. While it wasn't a newly-hatched chick, she doubted that her pet was fully mature yet – not when its nest had so many holes in it. Mischief's parents had lectured her about the importance of patching ones' nest even before she had grown her first flight feathers!

As more and more stars peeked into existence in the vast, dark sky, Mischief grew even more restless. She tried to distract herself for gathering twigs for a nest, because if she was going to watch over this human and take care of it, she needed to build a good home for herself so that she could get proper rest and devote her attention to her new pet. But it took some time for her to gather twigs properly, because while she would start off by scanning the ground for slim pieces of wood she could weave together to make her home. Her eyes would inevitably slide to the table where she had tested her pet's ability to play, and gauged its intelligence in understanding her intentions.

That was where her pet should be, inside its unfortunately-constructed nest, because being inside a nest with holes was better than not having a nest at all – or, in her human's case, being far away from said nest in the first place.

All of a sudden, Mischief could empathize with her parents' worries after she had grown her flight feathers and could fly far enough that her nest was no longer in sight. Back then, she had thought of nothing but her newfound freedom; of being able to fly wherever she wanted without her parents looking over her wing all the time... but now, as she waited for her own charge to come home, Mischief wondered if her parents ever thought that she would somehow get lost and forget where their nest was – because if her human knew where its nest was, why was it taking such a long time to come home to it?

Had something happened to it? Had a predator swooped in and taken her human because it had known about her pet's solitary habits? Was her human injured somewhere after having struggled for its life?

But it had seemed quite confident as it moved by itself when Mischief first saw it. She hadn't noticed it looking for members of its flock, so it seemed to be used to being by itself.

So... was it avoiding its nest because it knew Mischief would be nearby?

The moon was high in the sky, showing everybody under it was it was time to rest; to close ones eyes; to go to sleep because it was too dark for any bird to see prey properly.

Well, except for owls, but Mischief found owls disconcerting because of the way they just... stared. And they kept repeating the same thing over and over again. Whenever she stayed up late enough to encounter an owl, she always felt that icky feeling she first felt when her father once dropped an especially slimy worm on her back and it crawled ever so slowly, making her shudder. Owls made her feel like something was creeping on her back like that. They were just... _weird._

But because it was dark, it was time for her pet to come home... except maybe it didn't want to. Maybe, from their first meeting, her human had already sensed the way things would be, that Mischief would always be there. And maybe it didn't like that because it wanted its freedom, just like Mischief had wanted _her_ freedom as soon as she had grown her first flight feathers...

...and, in the midst of her worries, her human appeared... but before Mischief could greet it; before she could even fully spread her wings in order to fly down to it, it made its way into its nest filled with holes, opening yet another hole, slipping in, and then closing it somehow.

She let out a quiet caw of relief that her pet was safe... only for more unsettling thoughts to settle in her mind only a few wingbeats later.

Her human hadn't even looked for Mischief when it arrived outside its nest; hadn't even looked up at the trees, even though it knew which tree she had flown into one of them to hide its precious shiny thing. What if it didn't want an owner? For all Mischief knew, maybe it had been living a perfectly happy life before she had come along. In fact, the first time she saw her human, it was alone, instead of in a flock.

Maybe it didn't need Mischief. Maybe it didn't want Mischief.

Maybe all her human wanted was to be left alone...

...and that thought stayed with her even until the sun rose in the sky the next morning, shining down on a sleepy, bleary-eyed bird who didn't know if she should leave her human to its own devices, or stay even though it clearly hadn't even spared a thought for her ever since she had protected his precious shiny thing. Even though there was a possibility that her pet didn't want Mischief or anybody else around it... she didn't like that, because she had watched over it and played with it and eaten with it and helped it. They had formed a connection, or at least Mischief had thought they had, but maybe this whole thing was a mistake.

Which was... fine. There were plenty of humans out there. It was just a matter of going down to the beach and picking a different one. Maybe one who actually knew how to build a nest properly, without holes. One who kept precious objects out of sight so that nobody would take them.

And, seeming to appear just to contradict her thoughts, her human appeared, carrying several objects in its talons – a large black thing, two small white things, and a lumpy thing. As it sat down and spread open the large black thing, it looked up... straight into Mischief's tree.

Was it... looking for her?

She wanted to ask, but obviously, her human would be unable to answer. As it tapped and scratched at the black thing with its talons, Mischief noticed the two white things it had also brought out.

They were the same flat white discs onto which it had poured those delicious fruits and nuts yesterday – and now that she was focusing, Mischief could see that the lumpy thing her human and brought out was filled with those same small pieces of delicious fruits and nuts. Yesterday, it had poured some for itself on the first flat white disc... and on the second flat white disc, it had poured some delicious treats for Mischief.

Today, her human had brought out not just one flat white disc for its own food, but two.

Because it was waiting for Mischief.

And her worries, which had seemed so real and true when the moon had been her only light, faded away as Mischief focused on those two flat white discs that told her much, without even a single caw.

Her human had stayed out late last night because it was still young. It was possible that it didn't know that sleeping made you grow faster. Mischief had been like that, too, when she was able to fly away from the family nest for the first time. Exploring the rest of the world didn't mean that she didn't love her family; that she didn't want to come home to where she belonged. She had just wanted to see more of the world; to eat squirmy things that were a bit further away from her nest; to see other trees; to meet other birds.

Yes, it had arrived home later than it should have. But the important thing was that her pet _did_ come home, and, the following morning, it had looked at Mischief's tree, almost as if it were seeking her out.

But, instead of flying out to greet her human, Mischief chose to continue watching her human as she stayed hidden in her tree's leaves, relieved that her human truly was alright.

Then again, she really ought to give it a gentle cuff on the head with her wing for making her worry so much. Pets these days!

* * *

(End of Chapter Sixty-Two.) (31/03/18.)

* * *

 **00\. My personal comments:**

This chapter refers to Chapter Six ("Mischief") and Chapter Seven ("Integrity"). For those who don't remember, after meeting Mischief, Thomas went on a date with Marianne - meaning he was out late; meaning there was a sleep-deprived magpie in his backyard wondering where her human had gone. Thomas is her very first human, so, like a parent or guardian, Mischief was worried about Thomas staying out late at night... and this "immature" behavior makes her think that her pet human isn't fully grown yet XD

I will be explaining more about my long absence in the next chapter... but for now, I'd just like to say that it's great to be back! :D

 **(The next chapter, Chapter Sixty-Three, will be posted eight days from now, on April 08, 2018, Sunday.)**

 **AUTHOR'S NOTE (08/04/18):  
Hello, everybody! :) I am so sorry, but the next chapter will be delayed :( It will be posted two days from now, on April 10, and it will be another Avian Musings chapter, where Mischief is faced with her new responsibilities of caring for an immature human like Thomas XD I've decided to reserve Thomas' grand return (haha) to this fanfic for April 15, because... well, long-time readers of this fanfic know why April 15 is a very special date for NYTMC 1 ^_^ See you two days from now, and I apologize for missing my promised deadline! :O I can't believe how irresponsible I've become... :(**

* * *

 **01\. Canon compliance:**

The HWU quests that took place in this chapter were Plot Twists (L18) and Overshadowed (Day 02 of 05).

* * *

 **02\. A tiny request:**

Thank you for reading my fanfic! :D If you've read this far, I hope you'll consider taking an extra minute to leave a review for Chapter Sixty-Two ("Avian Musings 04")? :D Reviews really mean a lot to me as a fanfiction writer because I get to hear your thoughts on something I worked really hard on ^_^ Even if it's the year 2075 or something, I would love to hear your thoughts on this chapter! :D

* * *

 **03\. Two interesting HWU things:**

One, the HWU online television series! :D Did you know that a fellow HWU fan, Zoe (her username on Tumblr is "dizzyclueless"), is diligently working on HWU: The Series? It's a fan-made online television series based on Thomas Hunt and other characters from Hollywood U! ^_^ (At the moment, I'm just a very enthusiastic supporter... but I would LOVE to be involved in HWU: The Series someday! :D) You can find out more about this AMAZING television project on Tumblr (their official Tumblr blog is "hwutheseries"). I just LOVE how Pixelberry and Hollywood U have inspired SO many of us fans! ^_^

And two, my second HWU fanfic! :D If you're interested in reading Marie Claire's perspective of this chapter (Chapter Sixty-Two), then I encourage you to read "NYTMC 2: Marie Claire's Interlude" ^_^ Here's the summary: _"(Part two of the NYTMC series.) (Midquel.) How did Marie Claire Hart fall in love with her most dashing, yet most cantankerous, professor? A retelling of my MC/Hunt fanfic "NYTMC 1: Not Your Typical Meet-Cute" from Marie Claire's perspective, in 100-word drabbles."_


	63. Day 45b (W): Avian Musings 05 (Level 18)

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Hollywood U. This amazing game belongs to Pixelberry! :)**

* * *

 **My responses to your reviews:**

317\. (09/04/18) Guest: Thank you for understanding! :)

316\. (01/04/18) hp and stargirl: And I'm actually the opposite of a history enthusiast (fiction is much more interesting to me), so I'm glad you liked that part! :D

315\. (01/04/18) rysaspirit: Mischief may have only known Thomas for about a day, but she takes her responsibilities seriously... and right now, her main responsibility is her immature human pet, who doesn't know that nighttime is for sleeping! :P

314\. (01/04/18) CatsRtheBOSS: I actually deleted some chapters a while back, but the reviews for those chapters stayed :) If you look at pictures of magpie eyes and owl eyes, you can see that owl eyes are huge compared to magpie eyes. It would be like seeing a human with eyes the size of the top of a soda can, or something? Imagine walking around at night and seeing eyes that huge staring at you! :O Scary! :(

313\. (31/03/18) Guest: Aww, that's so sweet; thank you! :D

309-312. (11/03/18) hp and stargirl: **[C51.]** Great to see you again! :) I hope you have fun reading the chapters! :D **[C52.]** He said that to test them; so that they could think of innovative ideas for low-budget special effects :D **[C53.]** Yay! Thank for you for the birthday greetings! :) **[C54.]** Looks like Thomas Edison isn't your favorite historical figure... XD

308\. (03/03/18) CatsRtheBOSS: He might try to hide it from his students, but Thomas can't hide it from himself! :P He really wants his students to learn as much as they can! :)

305-307. (01/03/18) MFackenthal: **[C27.]** Could this mean that Thomas already has an idea of how marriage proposals should go? XD **[C28.]** Yay! I loved writing that line because it was a moment where Marie Claire was confiding in Thomas, but still being her whimsical self while doing so. She felt comfortable enough to tell him exactly what she was thinking in that moment... and that, of course, led him to make an important mental note in the privacy of his own mind :D And I'm glad that Thomas' point-of-view still seemed close to Marie Claire! Being able to write Thomas giving her advice, and Marie Claire respecting and trusting him enough to take his advice, was wonderful for me! :D **[C29.]** As their story progresses, Thomas notices Marie Claire more and more, and that includes her facial expressions and way of thinking, so he had no trouble discerning her thoughts when she was imagining him as a big, fluffy teddy bear :D

302-304. (28/02/18) MFackenthal: **[C23.]** Speaking of their eye contact in this chapter, I would happily advise you to read Chapter Twenty-Three of NYTMC 1 alongside Chapter Fifty-Seven of NYTMC 2. You'll see that Marie Claire has a very specific question for Thomas, and as she looks at him, "there was only silence." But, after that, right before he walks away, what does Thomas do? HE NODS! ^_^ Thank you for the birthday greetings! :) **[C25.]** Thomas is, of course, such an experienced filmmaker that things like movie production cycles and film festival committee processes are pretty easy for him to take into consideration, sleepy or not! :P. **[C26.]** I feel like Thomas is a person who THINKS things a lot more than he says them. He can see Marie Claire's potential and all the things she is and will be capable of, without actually admitting that to her. Thomas and Marie Claire really SHOULD hang out more often! :P

301\. (26/02/18) MFackenthal: **[C22.]** The pen scene is certainly a very special scene! :) Glad you're feeling better after the heightened emotions of the previous chapter! :) And, yes, he guides her by the hand! Actually, in canon, it says, "Hunt pulls you aside," so there was clearly physical contact :P

300\. (25/02/18) rysaspirit: Hooray! :D I love writing segments where his film professor side really shines through, because that's such a big part of who Thomas is :) At this point, he already knows Marie Claire to be a very deep person, so her not grasping his hidden motives about the assignment surprises him a little XD My color-coded outline is SUPER helpful! And not only that; it's also just really fun to look at because I feel a sense of accomplishment when I see the different colors representing the different types of quests, and how I was able to put them in an order that makes complete sense :)

299\. (25/02/18) Guest: I made the decision to remove them from the fanfic :)

298\. (24/02/18) Kimichan20: Yup, Thomas forgave her... after SUCH a long time! :O ...Well, not really for Thomas, since only eleven days had passed for him... but for US, it took over six months! O.o

294-297. (24/02/18) MFackenthal: **[C24.]** Poor Thomas, having to switch plates with Mischief! :P **[C19.]** You're absolutely right... considering all of his preparations for this Fear 101 lesson, Thomas did a LOT just to get back at Marie Claire for the tank thing. Shows HIS priorities, I guess XD Thanks! I liked writng that line! :P Even though the Fairy Kingdom Formal was two nights ago, he still remembers the magic :) Thomas couldn't stop himself from going back to the magpie - he wanted it to have a good home :) **[C20.]** Thomas is the person who Marie Claire looks to for support (as opposed to Addison or Ethan),and he knows her well enough to know how to help her feel more like herself again (as opposed to being timid and scared) :D **[C21.]** Poor Thomas, and poor you! :'( Thomas and Marie Claire both felt very deeply during this chapter, but because of the circumstances (since they were, you know, being pursued by zombies XD), not to mention their current emotional distance, a lot of things went unsaid...

* * *

 **Chapter Sixty-Three: Day 45b (Wednesday) – Avian Musings 05 (Level 18)**

* * *

As much as Mischief had wanted a pet when she was younger... now that she had one, she wasn't sure exactly how to take care of it.

For one thing, her pet was much larger than she was. During the rare times that Mischief had been a naughty chick, doing things she shouldn't - like peeking over the edge of their nest and almost falling out because she had leaned forward too much - her mother or father would simply use heir heads to nudge her back to the middle of the nest, which was the safest part because it was deepest. But if her human pet went places it shouldn't go, Mischief couldn't do the same - she could push and push all she liked, but because of her pet's size, the pushing would make no difference at all and her human would stay exactly where it was, probably not even understanding what she was trying to do.

She also didn't know how she could help her human grow. When she was a little chick, still covered in birth fluff, Mischief's parents had already started teaching her how to fly by lifting up their wings and telling her how each feather and each bone had its own unique purpose. Before her first flight feathers had grown in, Mischief already knew that there were thin feathers for cutting through wind, and heavy feathers for turning, and wide feathers that made flapping easier because they caught more air. She learned that when new feathers grew, you had to pluck out the old feathers with your beak to keep the feathers from sticking up and capturing the wrong air; and, of course, you had to check your feathers everyday for little insects because those insects could bite you and make you sick.

But that was how to be a bird. Mischief didn't know how to be a human.

After staying away from her human for the whole day so she could think, she came to the conclusion that while she wasn't a human, the fact of the matter was that her human was still young. If she watched it carefully, there was a chance that she could get to know it and help it grow properly... and she noticed something as early as the next morning.

* * *

On the third day of knowing her human, all of a sudden, one of the holes in its nest opened and her human ran out, blinking rapidly and running something over its wet head fur as it rushed to something that looked like a rock with holes in it - why did her human's things all have holes? - and, somehow, the rock started moving, with her pet still inside. Within two wingbeats, it was screeching away, carrying her human inside it, moving so very fast that Mischief didn't even have time to wave a wing goodbye.

It seemed that her pet didn't manage its time very well.

Mischief knew all about time. Sleeping was for when the world was dark - she wasn't even going to think about those weird owls who didn't know that simple fact when even newly-birthed chicks did - and you were supposed to wake up a little earlier than the sun because birds who woke up early ate food early. That was the best time for catching worms, because worms were always up just a little bit earlier than the sun, too. Maybe they also needed to wake up early because of their food... but didn't worms eat dirt? Why would they need to wake up early for dirt?

After a healthy, chewy breakfast gave one lots of energy, it was time to fly around one's territory, either guarding it from interlopers - those loud crows always thought they were _so_ subtle - or looking for new places to find prey. Some types of prey, like worms, never really moved from their usual spots, although they did go burrowing deeper into the ground the higher the sun rose, because they didn't have sleek feathers like Mischief's that kept her cool even when the sun was high up in the sky. But some prey, like grasshoppers, always - well, hopped, every which way. One day, there could be a cluster under one tree, and the next, they would be huddled together near a rock, or playing jumping games near a puddle of water if it had rained the night before. Mischief didn't know if they were smart enough to find new hiding places everyday, or if they just like exploring their surroundings, but either way, their constant movement gave her the opportunity to look closely at her territory. She had occasionally found new things to eat by looking closely at places she didn't give much notice before.

When the sun was at its hottest, the best thing to do was to stay in the shade and check one's feathers, because flying so much could make them rumpled or crooked and they wouldn't be at their best, or because maybe there were specks of dirt between them that had to be removed for better flight. That could take a while, and after that, it was time for another meal, which was easy when she knew where the grasshoppers had decided to hide that day, and more challenging if she hadn't found them earlier. Next was looking for thin twigs and thick leaves to strengthen her nest, because all birds knew that nests had to be checked everyday. After all, nests where were you slept, and having yours collapse in the middle of the night would send you tumbling to the ground. You could sprain or even break a wing if you didn't wake up in time to break your fall! And, once you found the right twigs and leaves, of course you had to spend time improving your nest... just in time for the sun to go down and for all birds to go to sleep.

 _Sensible_ birds, anyway.

Of course, Mischief knew that her pet wasn't a bird; it was a human. But she also knew that it wasn't just birds who went to sleep at night - worms slept at night, dogs slept at night, cats- well, cats slept all the time, but they _also_ slept at night. That was why Mischief had been so worried about her pet being out so late the previous evening - if it didn't sleep when it was supposed to, how would it grow? And if it didn't grow, how would it learn things it was supposed to know? How could Mischief teach it to patch up the holes in its nest if it was too sleepy to pay attention?

From the way that her human had rushed out of its nest and into its moving rock, blinking sleepily like that, Mischief knew that it hadn't gotten enough rest the night before. Why wasn't it resting now? Why was it leaving now? Having surveyed her new territory yesterday, Mischief had seen that there were plenty of good things to eat around her pet's nest... so why was it leaving?

* * *

On the fourth day of knowing her human, Mischief, just like the previous day, did not see it eating breakfast. Rather than having a healthy breakfast in the cool, crisp air of the morning, her human didn't carry anything edible outside to eat. Instead, it brought with it something small and brown, the same brown as dried oak bark after there had been too many days of only sun and no rain. As she watched, her pet open both sides of the brown thing, like how a flower's petals could be pulled apart, and Mischief saw that inside, the brown thing was mostly eggshell white, with bits of ash black here and there. After picking up a twig and holding the twig in its talons, her human started scratching at a white part of the brown thing, making ash black stuff that looked like dried squid ink come out of the twig. She waited for something to happen, but after her human was finished scratching, it simply folded up the brown thing and went inside - and soon, it was leaving again, though not as quickly as it did the previous day. Maybe it had gotten enough sleep last night... but what about its food?

And, on the fifth day of knowing her human, it was even worse.

Her human didn't even spend any time sitting outside, brown thing or no brown thing. And it didn't rush off to go somewhere like before, either. Instead, it walked out at a slow pace, took a long look at its surroundings, turning its head to look left and front and right, before entering its moving rock and leaving again.

Mischief knew that her pet was capable of getting food for itself, because on the day they met, it had shared yummy things with her. But she didn't know if it had any more left. A big human like hers had to have a big stomach, so even if it had eating only a few pieces each day, her pet was still growing and had to eat several times a day, so its yummy things must have already run out, leaving her human with nothing to eat. She knew what that look meant, that clear look in its eyes as it looked around its nest - it was looking for something. Mischief knew that look because it was the same one her parents had when they took her out hunting and taught her to scan her surroundings. They had even taught her to look left and front and right, just like her human had, when looking for prey - although since her human was rather young, it seemed to not have learned yet to also look up and down, because sometimes prey could be right under your wing.

Had her pet been looking for something to eat?

Had it scanned its surroundings just now, hoping for something to twitch and give itself away just so it could have a good breakfast?

Had it given up on finding prey, and simply endured its hunger with a squawking stomach, like Mischief sometimes had to when she woke up too late to catch worms?

The thought of her human being hungry, of leaving its nest hungry, because it was too young and immature to know the best ways to look for food...

At those horrible thoughts, Mischief cawed sadly, fluttering her feathers helplessly.

She... didn't want her human to be hungry. She wanted it to grow and learn and be the best human it could be, healthy and smart and tall.

And if didn't know how to hunt for its own fresh, squirming, live food, that wasn't a problem.

Straightening up, she shook her head and stretched her wings out as far as she could, testing herself, her strength.

It was Mischief's responsibility now. She knew how to hunt for food.

She could be strong enough for both of them.

* * *

(End of Chapter Sixty-Three.) (10/04/18.)

* * *

 **00\. My personal comments:**

Hello! :) I have four things to talk about today! :D

First, this chapter! This is the first time Mischief has had two chapters in a row! :P After accepting that Thomas does want her in his life, she decided that, because of his immaturity, she has to take more responsibility for him than she had anticipated... and so, she observed him for a few days. The three days I mentioned are Days Eight, Nine, and Ten - Thomas never eats outside during those days, and Mischief never saw him hunting (hahaha XD) either, so she's now under the impression that her poor human doesn't have enough food to eat :( If you're curious about what happens after that, there's a clue in the chapter about Day Eleven about what Mischief does to help her human pet grow big and strong :D And, I have to say, it's kind of weird how _easy_ it is to write as Mischief, and describing flying and nests and cars from her point-of-view O.o (I even wrote the phrase "squawking stomach" because Mischief, as a bird, wouldn't think of the noise as "growling" XD) I don't know for sure what birds do all day, but you now know what Mischief's daily schedule is like! XD Poor Mischief... she thinks that Thomas is very hungry, when in reality, he's... just eating breakfast indoors XD

Second, my long absence. For some reason, several things took place during March for me, including a doctor's appointment; certain changes around the house; a church retreat; my forays into gardening (I have a watering can and everything! :P); and my cat making full use of her hiding place where she makes it very clear that I am NOT invited (haha XD), so my offline life was busier than usual. And, I'll have to admit... during the non-busy times, I still chose to stay away because I participate in two fandoms (Hollywood U and Choices) on my Tumblr account and sometimes, being on Tumblr can be very stressful :O (There was nothing on Tumblr that prompted this particular absence, but being inactive made things more peaceful for me, since I could leave fandom drama behind and just focus on the fact that gardening is harder than it looks XD) However, staying away from this fanfic for an extended period of time wasn't something I wanted to do (and missing a promised deadline wasn't something I wanted to do, either, but I did it anyway... I'm very sorry!), and not to mention that exciting things are happening RIGHT NOW (see the next two paragraphs for clues), so staying away just isn't an option anymore! :O I am BACK! :O (Please take the angry smiley-faces as a sign of my renewed passion! :O) Hee hee! :P Thank you all for your patience, and I look forward to writing for and talking to all of you again! :D

Third, a very special website :D For those of you who are keeping up with the latest HWU news, a long-awaited website about something VERY exciting was officially launched last week... but, I'll talk more about this special HWU-related website after the bank finishes processing my Visa card (probably in one or two weeks)! ^_^

 **And fourth, the next chapter, Chapter Sixty-Four, will be posted five days from now, on April 15, 2018, Sunday. That will be a very special day for me because April 15, 2018, Sunday will be the two-year anniversary of "NYTMC 1: Not Your Typical Meet-Cute!" ^_^ So I hope to see you all here in five days ! :) :) :)**

* * *

 **01\. Canon compliance:**

The HWU quests that took place in this chapter were Plot Twists (L18) and Overshadowed (Day 02 of 05).

* * *

 **02\. A tiny request:**

Thank you for reading my fanfic! :D If you've read this far, I hope you'll consider taking an extra minute to leave a review for Chapter Sixty-Three ("Avian Musings 05")? :D Reviews really mean a lot to me as a fanfiction writer because I get to hear your thoughts on something I worked really hard on ^_^ Even if it's the year 2075 or something, I would love to hear your thoughts on this chapter! :D

* * *

 **03\. Two interesting HWU things:**

One, the HWU online television series! :D Did you know that a fellow HWU fan, Zoe (her username on Tumblr is "dizzyclueless"), is diligently working on HWU: The Series? It's a fan-made online television series based on Thomas Hunt and other characters from Hollywood U! ^_^ (At the moment, I'm just a very enthusiastic supporter... but I would LOVE to be involved in HWU: The Series someday! :D) You can find out more about this AMAZING television project on Tumblr (their official Tumblr blog is "hwutheseries"). I just LOVE how Pixelberry and Hollywood U have inspired SO many of us fans! ^_^

And two, my second HWU fanfic! :D If you're interested in reading Marie Claire's perspective of this chapter (Chapter Sixty-Three), then I encourage you to read "NYTMC 2: Marie Claire's Interlude" ^_^ Here's the summary: _"(Part two of the NYTMC series.) (Midquel.) How did Marie Claire Hart fall in love with her most dashing, yet most cantankerous, professor? A retelling of my MC/Hunt fanfic "NYTMC 1: Not Your Typical Meet-Cute" from Marie Claire's perspective, in 100-word drabbles."_


	64. Day 45c (W): Responsibilities (Level 18)

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Hollywood U. This amazing game belongs to Pixelberry! :)**

* * *

 **My responses to your reviews:**

322\. (15/04/18) Guest: I'm super excited! :D

321\. (13/04/18) Guest: Thank you for understanding! :)

320\. (12/04/18) Guest: Hooray! :D

319\. (11/04/18) CatsRtheBOSS: Ah, things are clearer to me now :P

318\. (11/04/18) Guest (CatsRtheBOSS): Thanks; I'm glad to be back! :D It's certainly a very hard job, especially since Thomas is so much bigger than Mischief XD Human things look strange to Mischief because one of the first things she learned from chickhood was that your nest shouldn't have any holes :P

* * *

 **Chapter Sixty-Four: Day 45c (Wednesday) – Responsibilities (Level 18)**

* * *

As Thomas walked onto the set of the first part of the make-up class project, the romantic comedy short film, he was pleasantly surprised to see that everything had been set up adequately. Due to the number of students in his freshman class, not all of them had received roles that showed their work on-camera; some of them had been set to creating props, painting backdrops, managing the electric equipment, and a host of other behind-the-scenes tasks. He had been slightly worried that some of his students might, as a result of believing such work – absolutely necessary work, because when there were problems in equipment, the performance of the on-screen cast suffered – to be unimportant, would do the bare minimum, but from the way his students were moving about, helping each other with a sense of purpose, Thomas saw that they were taking this project seriously, and he was glad.

It would have been embarrassing to have to show his industry friends substandard work at the film screening at the end of the week.

Not all of them were perfect at their tasks, of course. Dmitri, who had been Marie Claire's partner during the diva project, clearly had no idea how to work the expensive camera that had been assigned to him – but his lack of knowledge in no way lessened his typical exuberance, and he grinned as he tried one button after another, optimistic that eventually, one of them would do whatever it was he needed to do.

A few steps behind Dmitri stood one of his director classmates, Diderot, whose face was frozen in horror as Dmitri kept pushing random buttons. Running to the camera, Diderot exchanged a few words with his diva classmate before quickly pressing a button on the upper right side of the camera and the digital screen came to life. After being enthusiastically thanked for his help, Diderot had just started walking away when the lens of Dmitri's camera rotated very rapidly retracting, the outer lens snapping shut soon after. Very quickly, Diderot turned to his classmate and stayed to give further instructions, his worried glances at the camera betraying his real concern.

Remembering Diderot's daring camera angles during his and Marie Claire's director class project, Thomas supposed that it made sense that the he had an affinity for handling camera equipment.

As both students adjusted the camera's tripod, Thomas noticed moving black shapes on the grass – shadows that were getting closer and closer with every breath, a group of them. He turned to see who they were – and stared.

In contrast to the fast-moving students around them who were cooperating to carry large pieces of equipment across the set, or checking their phones and clipboards to ensure that everything was going according to schedule, this new group was startling in its lack of energy. They were his students; Thomas knew that at first glance. But he was taken aback at how little they resembled their normal selves, because today, their sunken eyes were surrounded by a dark hue the belied their exhaustion; their heads tilted slightly to the left and to the right, ever so slowly, as they stared blankly at their surroundings, looking as if they were barely able to register the world around them as they held on loosely to the papers in their hands.

From behind the group emerged a slightly more... alive... pop star whose pink hair was in a ponytail, gently leading the horde – the _group_ – of students in the direction of the largest trailer on the movie set, whispering to her clearly sleep-deprived classmates that they ought to hand the scripts out on their way inside. As one of the horde – the _group!_ – of swaying students passed him a thick bundle of papers, Thomas realized that these were the students whom he had to be the three short films' screenwriters. Considering that they only received the assignment and the story abstracts the day before, the fact that they were practically dead on their feet made much more sense to Thomas, who was no stranger to writing screenplays. Wordlessly, he stepped aside to let his students pass, and they followed Lisa the way tiny ducklings would stumble after their mother, trusting her to lead the way. Once all of them had climbed into the large trailer, Lisa poked her head out to give a warning glance to everybody outside, holding a finger to her lips in the universal gesture for silence before closing the door as softly as she could.

Thomas was tempted knock on the trailer door to ask what _that_ was all about, but since Lisa was not a student he was particularly close to, he decided to keep his question to himself for now.

After the quiet exit of the horde – the _group!_ \- of temporary screenwriters, the rest of the class looked at Thomas, as if wondering what they should do now.

"As you are all supposed to be functioning as a real cast and crew," he told them, "I will only be present on set to observe. If you have any questions, you may ask the directors of the three short films, who are effectively in charge of this entire production – although I would suggest reading the scripts first."

Having said his piece, Thomas stepped to the side, and everybody's eyes turned to look at Barry, who was standing beside one of the smaller trailers.

To Thomas' knowledge, Barry had no directing or acting experience whatsoever. He was at Hollywood U to learn to be a professional bodyguard, and judging by the fact that Marie Claire and Barry received the best grade in the bodyguard class project for being the last team standing, he was well on his way. But being a good bodyguard meant being able to assess different types of people, and as the director of today's movie, he would be required to watch his actors closely to give them instructions. The level of scrutiny directors and bodyguards gave to the subjects of their focus were, in some ways, actually very similar.

As a bodyguard major, he was trained to maintain a calm facade at all times, but Thomas, who was very experienced as rooting out fear in his charges, could detect a hint of discomfort as Barry turned his head back and forth, attempting to meet everybody's gazes all at once. Knowing that they were silently asking him what to do next, Barry held up his own copy of the script.

"Let's read."

* * *

Not wanting the short films to be abysmal due to _everybody_ being bereft of acting skills, Thomas had, for the most part, assigned as actors the students who were already used to people looking at them. Mova and Martin were movie star majors; Lance was a model major; Jenni was a celebutante major; Modenne was a model major, and so on – although he had thrown an agent major, a couple of wardrobe majors, and a few others in as well, to also give them some acting experience.

And, during the hour that Barry had given everybody to read the scripts, it turned out that the three directors – Barry, Diderot, and Addison – had agreed to audition all of their classmates who had been assigned to be actors, in order to choose for their films those who would fit the leading roles best. Thomas sat back as the actors, following the three directors' instructions, assembled on a makeshift stage, facing Barry, Diderot, and Addison in their director's chairs, with the rest of the crew behind them, who were watching curiously as each of them launched into an extemporaneous mini-performance that would highlight their individual talents.

After the auditions were finished, Barry, Diderot, and Addison huddled together – along with a fourth person. Judging by the baffled looks the three directors gave her, it was clear to whoever was watching that Bianca had invited _herself_ to the private discussion, and wasn't about to take "no" for an answer.

It was only several days later, after all the students had submitted their reflective essays for the make-up project, that Thomas would find out exactly what had taken place during the conversation between three directors and one associate producer – and why Bianca had screeched in the middle of it.

Despite not having acting experience, Jenni's audition, which had mainly consisted of complicated gymnastics, had shown her flexibility of movement to the three directors. While Diderot and Addison had no urgent need for that quality in their leads, Barry thought that her flexibility would be ideal for his romantic comedy short film, where the female love interest was, according to the script, _"a tough, streetwise criminal with a secret"_ who was always dodging bullets and sneaking into hard-to-find spots.

Meanwhile, Lance, who was generally known to be one of the most easygoing people in his class – so easygoing that even missing classes didn't seem to bother him – had a generally naive air about him that Diderot thought would be great for Barry's movie, because the romantic comedy short film's male lead was _"a by-the-book cop with a heart of gold."_

The words had, according to Diderot's reflective essay, barely escaped his lips before Bianca emitted _"a banshee-like screech"_ before hissing that there was no way her _boyfriend_ would be starring in a romantic comedy and _kissing_ somebody else.

Diderot, who had the most directing experience of the three, had tried to explain to Bianca that it was just acting, and that on-screen kisses didn't mean that the leads were actually into each other – which, Thomas thought Bianca ought to have known, being a movie star major herself – but Bianca had stubbornly refused to listen, and, after declaring that no member of her entourage would act in a movie that Addison was directing, Diderot, in the interests of saving time – and his confidence in his own directing abilities – agreed to let Jenni and Lance star in his fantasy short film.

After giving her huffy approval, Bianca drifted off, having lost interest in the discussion.

The rest of the actors were cast much more quickly after, in Diderot's words, the _"unprofessional interference of our so-called associate producer."_

* * *

Having read the scripts himself during that same hour, Thomas had the opinion that they... actually weren't bad. Because the students hadn't been professional or even just aspiring screenwriters, there were some amateur mistakes, but on the whole, the content itself was of good quality. In addition to the list of students and roles, everybody had also received short abstracts of what the three short films ought to be about, which were useful for the screenwriters, prop makers, wardrobe designers, and so on. That way, while everything would still be the students' work, they had some idea of the main details of each movie, so that backdrops could be painted and other equipment could be prepared the night before, at the same time that the horde – the _group!_ – had been writing the screenplays.

Despite only having had a single night to write all three scripts, the characters were nuanced, the plots were believable, and the general tone of each script evoked urgency and anticipation in equal measure.

 _These are good, basic scripts that have room for improvement,_ Thomas thought to himself. _Why is it that we don't teach scriptwriting at Hollywood U? Perhaps I can suggest it to Andrew._

 _Then again, I've already brought one major into the university curriculum. If I suggest a second one, he might think I'm trying to start a mutiny!_

Blinking away the mental image of himself in a pirate outfit, Thomas looked up from the script he was rereading and saw that Barry was getting ready to direct his first scene. Curious about how his normally reticent student would perform in his new director role, he stood back and watched.

Mova and Martin, who were movie star majors, were used to memorizing their lines, so it was just as well that they were eventually assigned to the first short film, in order to give the others more time to familiarize themselves with their scripts. As they stood facing each other, Martin, wearing a police officer's uniform, had his hands held out, showing that he had no weapons. His open reassurance contrasted with Mova's hostile demeanor – her eyes were narrowed as she kept her right hand inside her pocket, obviously holding a small weapon of some sort in case it was needed.

After Barry shouted, "Action!" the two leads launched into their lines. The general idea of the scene was that after Martin had figured out Mova's hiding place, he was asking if they could work together, but because she was once betrayed by a police officer, Mova was unhappy that Martin had found her, and was telling him that he ought to leave while he still could.

Then, out of the blue, Mova's tense expression relaxed, and she raised a tentative hand in the air.

"Uh, Barry? Can I ask something? How is my character supposed to be feeling right now?"

Barry, after glancing at the part of the script they were on, replied.

"Mad."

"Oh, yeah, I know," nodded Mova, "but what kind of mad? I mean, am I openly furious because he found me and I'm ready to explode at anytime so that he doesn't tell anybody where I've been hiding this whole time... or am I more, like, keeping a poker face in front of Martin so he doesn't know exactly how mad I am and he'll trust me more, but I'm actually just hiding my rage? Because there are different kinds of mad, right?"

Barry nodded.

"Right."

With that, after checking where everybody was, Barry shouted, "Action!"

* * *

It was, Thomas observed, a failure in communication, with Barry agreeing with Mova's second sentence, but not giving her the advice she had specifically asked for in her first. After a brief, uncertain blink, Mova became her character once more, but because she had not received the guidance she needed from her director, she was forced to choose, in a split second, which path to take – and she chose to spit out her lines in a hateful voice as she glared at Martin, making it clear that there was no way she would ever trust him.

To be honest, he understood both of his students. Barry, who was more inclined to act and get things done, had probably not paid much attention to Mova's question – not out of malice, but because he probably thought she had been making a general comment, not asking for advice. And Mova, despite in her newfound interest in improv after being Marie Claire's partner in the movie star project, was more familiar with following a script. Therefore, knowing that her character was supposed to be "mad," she had proceeded to make that very clear by hissing her lines as she made large gestures – even though in Thomas' expert opinion as a director, he felt that subtle anger, mixed with intrigue and a fraction of respect for her adversary for being able to find her, would have been more in line with her character's personality as a streetwise criminal.

As Thomas continued to watch, the next few scenes they shot followed the same vein.

When one of his classmates, the one operating the main camera, asked Barry which angle he wanted for a specific shot, Barry replied, "Focus on them." His classmate took the instruction literally and zoomed in on the actors' faces, not knowing that a close-up of the glint of Mova's hidden weapon peeking out of her pocket would have increased narrative tension and driven the plot arc forward.

When a wardrobe designer – who was, in reality, a special effects major – asked Barry to choose between three pieces of jewelry for Mova's main accessory, Barry chose a delicate-looking silver chain, when in fact one of the other choices, a leather cord with a wooden pendant, would have been a more in-character choice for a criminal who wouldn't want to set off any metal detectors.

And, when Martin asked if he was supposed to be showing any signs that he was starting to find Mova attractive, Barry told him, "That's not in the script," even though a few admiring glances from Martin would have hinted to the audience when his attraction began, making the viewers root for their relationship even more.

They weren't _big_ mistakes – well, they were big to Thomas, but his students were freshmen.

Even so, those who were in different roles noticed the small mistakes of their classmates. A wardrobe major standing nearby had given a confused blink when Barry had chosen the silver chain; a director major had furrowed her brow and touched her own pocket while her classmate operated the camera; and Mova, who wanted a little more advice in order to act to the best of her abilities, refrained from asking for any more, likely in order to spare Barry the embarrassment of giving inadequate replies. While that was considerate of her, when she was off-camera she would frown at herself, as if scolding herself for not being better.

While directing was not Barry's forte, his bodyguard instincts had no difficulty sensing the growing uneasiness in the atmosphere, making him pay slightly more attention to his surroundings instead of the acting that was taking place in front of him, and his lack of focus resulted in poorly-executed scenes that needed to be shot again, frustrating everybody.

After another failed re-shoot, Barry decided to give everybody a ten-minute break, saying that they would all try again afterwards. As his cast and crew wandered over to the catering area, Barry silently slipped out of his director's chair and headed off, clearly wanting some time to himself.

 _I know I'm not supposed to give advice,_ Thomas thought in concern, _but if they keep on shooting the same scenes over and over again, they'll waste time and possibly not finish today... and then everything will be thrown off-schedule. Maybe I should have a quick word with Barry._

With that goal in mind, Thomas let his student walk ahead, and then followed quietly after him.

* * *

A few minutes later, Barry's destination became clear – and it made some sense to Thomas. Because doing make-up was intricate work, the area where the make-up trailers were gathered was probably one of the quietest spots on the movie set. His student leaned against the side of the trailer and was about to heave a sigh when he heard a cheerful voice.

"Hey, Barry!" Marie Claire, whose face looked oddly asymmetrical for some reason that Thomas couldn't place, skipped out of the trailer Barry had just leaned against. "I saw you from the window. What's up? Want your make-up done? I think I'm learning – see?"

While she was speaking, she had been walking towards Barry, so that by the time she asked her last question, she was facing him, gesturing to her own face proudly.

Thomas, who was standing beside a different make-up trailer, saw Barry glance at Marie Claire before giving a halfhearted shrug.

Continuing her train of thought, Marie Claire grinned, "If you feel like looking a scary criminal, I can make it happen. Did you see Mova's make-up earlier? That was Masha's work, but I listened to her as she did it, so I might be able to recreate that look with a bit of practice. You up for it?"

Barry opened his mouth, as if to reply – and let out an sigh instead.

"Hey..." Marie Claire stepped a bit closer, and from her vantage point, she could clearly see that something was bothering her classmate. "What's wrong?"

"It's..." Barry shrugged again, his shoulders slumping immediately after as he continued to lean against the trailer. "Directing is hard."

For her part, Marie Claire looked surprised.

"Really?"

"Yeah..." said Barry as he shifted his feet, "...really."

"What's difficult about it?"

The bodyguard major threw his hands up in frustration.

"Everything!"

He pulled himself forward from leaning against the trailer, and, now that he had a mostly private place to process his feelings, Barry commenced pacing back and forth beside the trailer. His strides were short, as if he was trying to take as many steps as possible in order to escape faster, but at the last moment, he would turn and walk the exact same way in the opposite direction, alternating between rubbing his wrists and waving his hands as he kept pacing back and forth, venting to his sympathetic audience.

"I... I don't like being a director. People keep asking me different things, but I don't know anything about camera angles and necklaces. I keep making mistakes... even if I don't know what they are, everybody else does, and they... nobody's _said_ anything, but I know they're not happy. And they're right not to be happy. I'm not supposed to be making mistakes. I'm not supposed to be _seen,_ but now everybody's looking at me, and asking me what they should do... I'm a _bodyguard._ I don't want people to ask me anything. I just want to do my _job,_ and this isn't my job, Marie Claire."

Marie Claire, who had not moved from her spot as her classmate confided in her, took a couple of small steps towards the trailer. "That's weird," was all she said as she turned and leaned against it, mimicking Barry's earlier position.

Having spent his most of his energy in his heated speech, Barry also leaned against the trailer, his shoulders slumped in defeat. "What's weird?"

"Remember our bodyguard project?" At Barry's nod, Marie Claire continued to speak. "I was so clueless on that first day. I wasn't used to looking over my shoulder all the time. I kept asking you stuff... and you wanted to keep your distance, remember?"

He nodded.

"But eventually, you answered. You taught me caution and even some self-defense moves. I was able to assassinate Crash because of you. I mean, yeah, they were just red stickers, but the thing was, I needed your help, and you did. Help me, that is. A director's like that, too. When you're a bodyguard, you stand between your client and the world. And when you're a director, you stand between your crew and the world."

Barry was silent.

"When you're a director... or a producer, I guess, since I have more experience with that... you have to protect everybody. When you're a bodyguard, you can't slack off; you have to see everything, all the time, because anybody and anything could be a threat. Even your client's friends – like when Addison tried to get me with those stickers. It's the same with a movie. You have to oversee every single detail – and if a movie fails, or if somebody cheats you, it's your fault, because everybody trusted you, but you weren't strong enough for them."

The intellectual side of Thomas knew that Marie Claire was actually talking about producer responsibilities, not director responsibilities.

But a different side of him knew that, at this very moment, Marie Claire was at the banquet hall of the Sundance Festival, hearing the click-clack of shoes, the tinkling of champagne glasses, and the voice of Anders Stone.

"That's the problem," Barry pointed out, suddenly reminding Thomas that they were in California, not Utah. "I have to know everything, but I don't know _anything._ "

"I wouldn't say that. When I heard that you were the director for the romantic comedy, it made a lot of sense. Mova's a criminal and Martin's a cop, right? Because you're a bodyguard, you know how suspicious people act, so if you teach Mova how to talk and how to move like a criminal, she'll be really in-character! And as a police officer, isn't Martin sort of like... a public bodyguard? I mean, you know, when I think about it, if we don't count the director majors, you're probably the best person for the job!"

By the end of her mini-speech, Marie Claire enthusiastically brought her hands together for a loud clap, and while Barry was starting to cheer up, he had still had some remaining concerns.

"Maybe... maybe you're right, and I can help the actors... but what about the camera angles and costumes and all that? I have no clue about that stuff!"

"You're right," she nodded. "You have _no_ clue about that stuff."

"Thanks a lot..." muttered Barry.

However, Marie Claire wasn't finished.

"But you who does? Diderot taught me more about camera angles and different ways to shoot scenes in twenty-four hours than I could have ever learned studying textbooks for a month straight. And Farlene knows a ton about clothes – fashion eras, different fabrics, sewing techniques... everything!"

Barry blinked. "Uh... good for them?"

"Yup... and good for you! Because if there's something you don't know, you can ask for help. Diderot, Farlene, Addison, Ethan, Lisa, Crash, me... and everybody else. When you're a bodyguard, there's only you and your client... but when you're a director, you have a whole cast and crew who want you to succeed."

 _She's very wise. It's... hard to believe that this is the same woman who invented the_ smostril...

Seeing that there was now no need for him to speak with Barry, Thomas decided to check on the rest of his students.

And just before Thomas walked away, Marie Claire murmured something to Barry that he couldn't hear that day... but that he read several days later in Barry's reflective essay.

" _Marie Claire told me that if I started having doubts about directing, I should take a deep breath and look around me – because everybody I see is on my side."_

* * *

(End of Chapter Sixty-Four.) (15/04/18.)

* * *

 **00a. My personal comments (April 15, 2018, Sunday):**

Hello, hello, hello to all of you! :D Today, April 15, 2018, Sunday, is the two-year anniversary of "Not Your Typical Meet-Cute!":D I can't believe it's been two whole years! Thank you so, very much for being with me and my fanfic on this journey! ^_^ Let's look forward to future chapters together! :D

The statement above is from my heart. It's almost identical to what I wrote on April 15, 2017, Saturday.

I didn't expect to be crying so soon into these author's notes, but I am. Not because of my second anniversary, but because of what happened around this time last year. Last year, when Pixelberry made their announcement... well, if you read my Tumblr blog posts in late March and early April, you know how I handled the news. I can't tell you how many times I cried, because I did that too many times for me to remember. I can tell you that, last year, I wondered when would be the last time I would cry about HWU. Wondered if it would stop hurting so much.

It's not like I cry everyday about it, or even every month. I don't... schedule my crying, or something. But sometimes, when remember that terrible time, or when I hear a song about losing something (or somebody, as lots of songs seem to be about) so important to you, something that made you strong, I think of Hollywood U, because it's in this world that I can pretend to be a strong person, at least for a little while; it's in this world where I found my voice and developed my voice as a writer; and I feel less alone when I read reviews or receive messages from people like you, people who love HWU as much as I do.

I don't... I wish... I wasn't planning on writing an anniversary message. But now that I am, I wish I could say something uplifting, something cheerful. You know? Something that would... I don't know. Something. But I'm just... crying.

I don't know what to say now... but in the interests of NOT making my anniversary message, you know, a thousand percent depressing, I'm going to slightly change the topic by talking about something that a few of my readers have asked me about... my color-coded outline! :D

* * *

 **00b. My two outlines (April 15, 2018, Sunday):**

I actually have two outlines. The first one, my color-coded Microsoft Excel outline, has nine columns.

 **Column one,** the chapter's update date. **Column two,** the chapter number. **Column three,** the chapter title. **Column four,** the date the chapter took place. (For example, The Chapter I Have Been Waiting For took place on Valentine's Day, so it has "02-14" written in this column.) **Column five,** the numerical day of the chapter. (Because Chapter Fifteen was the second chapter that also took place on Day Fourteen, it has "14b" written in this column.) **Column six,** the day of the chapter. (Chapter One has "Monday" written in this column, so Thomas met Marie Claire for the very first time on a Monday.)

 **Column seven,** the level of the campus at that point in the fanfic. (Chapter Twenty-Two has "L11" written in this column. That was the day Thomas agreed to the stunt program, during the first Level Eleven HWU main quest, and it was only after that that you could build the Stunt Dorm and admit Stunt students. And so, for canon compliance reasons, it was only AFTER that conversation in the main quest, after that chapter, that I could include the stunt, special effects, and bodyguard help quests in my fanfic.) **Column eight,** the "Day" column, which shows what Thomas was doing that day. **And column nine,** the "Night" column, which shows what Thomas was doing that night.

Those last two columns, the "Day" column and the "Night" column, are where I indicate which quests would take place during that chapter, and I currently have six different colors for quests. **Yellow** (main quests); **green** (help quests); **blue** (other events, like the Avian Musings chapters); **purple** (premium quests); **black with white italicized font** (used ONLY for The Chapter I Have Been Waiting For, which got its own color because it was THAT special XD)... and, finally, one remaining color, **pink.** But, unfortunately, I can't tell you what kind of HWU quest the color pink is for, because... spoilers... ^_^

(Moving on... :D) There is also my second outline, the one I don't mention as much, which is my Microsoft Word outline.

That one is much simpler, because its main purpose is to indicate the "First event" and "Last event" of each day. For example, **Day One** has ( _"The morning after your late night at Blitz, you're woken up by a knock on your door."_ ) written as its first event; **Day Two** has ( _"Around 4:00 AM…"_ ) written as its first event; **Day Three** has ( _"The next morning, you and your team wait in the lobby of Lisa's talent agency."_ ) written as its first event; and so on. **That way,** by including exact lines from canon in my Microsoft Word outline (I also indicate which main quests those lines are from), I know which main quest events took place on which days, AND I knew where days begin and end, which is useful both for canon compliance purposes as well as for storytelling purposes.

 **And actually,** in my outline, Day Thirty-Two's "Last event" is ( _"Just grab some actors from your entourage, and we'll get started!"_ ). Because that was one of the rare occasions in the main quests where progression of time was not explicitly stated ("grabbing some actors" could have taken hours or days or weeks, after all), I made it so that from Day Thirty-Two onwards, including this week's chapter (Day Forty-Five), as far as the main quest is concerned, Marie Claire is currently still in the process of "grabbing some actors from her entourage."

And so... you now know what my two outlines are like XD

To you, the person reading this right now... thank you for being with me today, on the second anniversary of "NYTMC 1: Not Your Typical Meet-Cute."

Thank you.

* * *

 **00c. Author's note (April 30, 2018, Monday):**

Today, I was looking through my backup copies of NYTMC 1 over the years (ahhhhh! :D Years! I can say "years" now, because NYTMC 1 is TWO years old! :D), and to my puzzlement, even though I really thought it was four, I could only find three instances where I missed my promised deadline for NYTMC 1. (To be fair, there's a big gap in my records, so maybe the other time took place during that gap?) Although, with this author's note, I guess it IS four instances, now, because I said on 22/04/18 that I would post the next chapter on 30/04/18, but unfortunately, I won't be able to post a new chapter today.

I am very, very sorry :(

During my first year of writing, I never missed a deadline... but in my second year of writing, today is the fourth deadline I've missed. In the past, when I've apologized for the deadlines I missed, you, my readers, have told me that it's perfectly fine, and that I should put myself and my own needs ahead of NYTMC 1. I appreciate, very much, that you are very understanding, and very kind. And even though I know that during this instance, you will once again be understanding and kind (you guys are awesome! :D), I wanted to explain here, at least a little, why missing my deadlines affects me to the extent that it does.

When I say that I'll post the next chapter on a certain date, and then fail to do so, I disappoint my readers. But, in addition to that, I also disappoint myself. Both because I show that I'm an inconsistent author... but, more importantly, because by breaking a promise, I reveal myself as a dishonorable person, whose promises, whose word, cannot be trusted. On a very personal level, it's a matter of personal integrity - it isn't just about a fanfic chapter to me. When I make a promise, even if it's "just" about a fanfic chapter, I ought to KEEP my promise... so when I don't, when I break my word, I'm extremely disappointed in myself, because I want to be better than that :( I truly hope I'll never again miss a promised deadline after today :( but, in case it does still happen in the future, I hope you will continue to be patient with me :)

In the next chapter, Chapter Sixty-Five, I'm planning for Thomas to have a conversation with not just one, but TWO pink-haired Hollywood U students! :D Marie Claire is one of them, but can you think of another important HWU character who ALSO has pink hair? :P

* * *

 **01\. Canon compliance:**

The HWU quests that took place in this chapter were Plot Twists (L18) and Overshadowed (Day 02 of 05).

* * *

 **02\. A tiny request:**

Thank you for reading my fanfic! :D If you've read this far, I hope you'll consider taking an extra minute to leave a review for Chapter Sixty-Four ("Responsibilities")? :D Reviews really mean a lot to me as a fanfiction writer because I get to hear your thoughts on something I worked really hard on ^_^ Even if it's the year 2075 or something, I would love to hear your thoughts on this chapter! :D

* * *

 **03\. Two interesting HWU things:**

One, the HWU online television series! :D Did you know that a fellow HWU fan, Zoe (her username on Tumblr is "dizzyclueless"), is diligently working on HWU: The Series? It's a fan-made online television series based on Thomas Hunt and other characters from Hollywood U! ^_^ (At the moment, I'm just a very enthusiastic supporter... but I would LOVE to be involved in HWU: The Series someday! :D) You can find out more about this AMAZING television project on Tumblr (their official Tumblr blog is "hwutheseries"). I just LOVE how Pixelberry and Hollywood U have inspired SO many of us fans! ^_^

And two, my second HWU fanfic! :D If you're interested in reading Marie Claire's perspective of this chapter (Chapter Sixty-Four), then I encourage you to read "NYTMC 2: Marie Claire's Interlude" ^_^ Here's the summary: _"(Part two of the NYTMC series.) (Midquel.) How did Marie Claire Hart fall in love with her most dashing, yet most cantankerous, professor? A retelling of my MC/Hunt fanfic "NYTMC 1: Not Your Typical Meet-Cute" from Marie Claire's perspective, in 100-word drabbles."_


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